Tower of Church of St Mary Magdalen

The tower of the Church of St Mary Magdalen dates to the late 13th century. It is a particularly important example of a church tower, retaining its structure after the rest of the church was destroyed by fire in 1742. The tower is constructed of stone and features clasping buttresses on the two lower stages. The third stage was added in the 15th century, incorporating Perpendicular windows, four large corner gargoyles, and a crenellated parapet that is gabled to the northwest and southeast. Following the 1742 fire, funds intended for rebuilding St Mary Magdalen’s were used instead to rebuild and enlarge the nearby Church of St Giles. The main part of the original church lay northeast of the tower, which was accessed from the southeast.