Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a parish church located in Merton, London, with origins dating back to the 12th century and later modifications. The chancel is from the early 13th century, while the north porch was restored in the 15th century. The north aisle was added in 1866 by B Ferrey, and the south aisle was constructed in 1856 by F Digweed. The west arch was completed in 1897 by H G Quartermain. The church features a knapped flint exterior with stone dressings and a tiled roof, which has been partly renewed. It has a four-bay nave and a four-bay chancel, along with a north porch and a short shingled broach spire at the west, without a clerestory but with dormers. The nave windows are two-light, pointed in the taller north aisle and square-headed with perpendicular style tracery in the south aisle, which has buttresses between. The chancel retains three pointed lancets, with other side windows being two-light, and the east window is a three-light insertion with perpendicular tracery. The west door is pointed arched and moulded, featuring head stops. The north door, dating back to the 12th century, has been reset and displays zigzag decoration on the voussoirs and scalloped capitals on the shafted jambs, along with an old timber door adorned with fine 12th-century wrought iron work.

Inside, the nave showcases alternating circular and octagonal columns that support pointed arcades, and it has an open timber roof with tie beams. The chancel, which has four bays, features fine capitalless ashlar wall arcades from the early 13th century and an elaborate crown-post roof from around 1400, complete with moulded tie beams and coved edges. There is an old timber door on the south side of the chancel, also with 12th-century wrought iron work. The southeast window of the chancel includes a circa 1400 depiction of the head of Jesus in the tracery light. The church contains several wall monuments, including one for the Cook family with a draped female figure by R J Wyatt from 1832, and a wall monument for Gregory Lovell of Merton, who died in 1597. The reredos was created in 1889 by Ewan Christian, and the church also features a 19th-century font, pews, pulpit, and lectern, along with hatchments. Additionally, there is one window in the south aisle from 1907 made by Morris and Company.