Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church located in Stamfordham. It features possibly Saxon quoins at the west end of the nave and a blocked Saxon, early Romanesque arch in the west wall of the tower. The church primarily dates from the 13th century and was extensively restored in 1847 by Benjamin Ferrey. It is constructed of squared stone and ashlar with a fish-scale tile roof. The building includes a tower, a nave with aisles, a chancel, and a vestry.

The tower has three storeys, with small lancets on the ground and first floors. The bell opening is paired-lancet style with a roll-moulded surround and a central column featuring a waterleaf capital. The nave has four bays, each with two lancets, and buttresses between the bays, all details from the 1847 restoration.

The three-bay chancel displays more clearly re-used 13th-century masonry. While the plinth, priests' door, and string are from Ferrey's work, the windows appear to be original. The east end features three stepped lancets. The north vestry includes a picturesque tall octagonal chimney with a pyramidal cap.

Inside, the porch contains three medieval grave covers and part of a 15th-century tomb with two angels bearing a shield. The tower lancets have round rere-arches. The arcade features double-chamfered arches that have been re-cut, although the original design remains; the octagonal piers are replacements. The west piers have heavily restored stiff-leaf capitals, while the west responds and slightly-ogival tower arch are original. The chancel arch and east responds have triple-shafted corbels. The chancel windows have roll-moulded surrounds, with the east window featuring a multi-moulded surround. A trefoiled piscina is present, along with a segmental niche on the chancel's south side that contains an effigy of a knight, and a similar niche on the north side with dogtooth detailing and an effigy of a priest. Additionally, there is half of a 13th-century effigy of a knight in the chancel, along with a wall tablet to the Dixon family from 1721 and later, which includes a coat of arms. In the north aisle, there is a large standing monument to John Swinburne from 1653, featuring Baroque carving in the style of Capheaton Hall. The south aisle has part of a 14th-century relief of the crucifixion built into the east wall, as well as a painted cartouche dedicated to William Akenside and his son Sam from 1776.