Church Of St Mary

The Church of St. Mary is a parish church located in Rockland St. Mary. It primarily dates from the 14th century but underwent significant restoration in 1892-93, during which the windows, roofs, and south porch were replaced. The church is constructed of flint with ashlar dressings, and the chancel includes some brickwork. The nave roof is covered with plain tiles, while the rest of the building has a slate roof.

The structure features a square, unbuttressed west tower that has string courses at each of its three stages and tapers towards the parapet. The western lancet window is ogeed and has an ogee hood, while the ringing chamber windows are brick rebated lancets. Below the crenellated parapet, there are wide arched belfry windows. The nave is supported by diagonal buttresses on the west and side buttresses on the east.

The south porch is gabled and has a moulded entrance arch. The inner doorway features wave and multiply roll moulding, with a hood mould on the head stops. The door is made of planks and muntins, fitted with an iron circular striking plate. The nave has three 2-light Perpendicular windows on the south side and two on the north, all with square heads and hoods on labels. Between the north windows, there is a flat-topped 20th-century outbuilding made of flint and brick.

The east end of the chancel has been repaired in brick, leading to a reconstruction appearance. On the south side, there are two rounded lights under a square hood, with the spandrels glazed, while the corresponding window on the north side is blocked. There is one 19th-century rounded light to the east of these on both the north and south sides. The chancel's east window is a lancet.

Inside, the church features a double chamfered tower arch without responds and a 19th-century scissor-braced nave roof. The octagonal 15th-century font is adorned with painted figures of saints in niches on the stem, and the bowl panels display shields bearing angels. The chancel arch is quadrant moulded on circular responds, which have tall polygonal bases and capitals. Three large tie beams from the original chancel roof remain, with the rest comprising principals and one tier of staggered butt purlins, likely from the 18th century.