Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

This is a cruciform parish church with a central tower, substantially built in the late 13th and early 14th centuries and significantly enlarged in the 15th century. The nave was widened in 1837 and extended by one bay in 1860, with a vestry added in 1927. The building is constructed of Kentish ragstone with tiled roofs.

The church comprises a four-bay nave with north and south aisles; north and south transepts, each with an east aisle; and a three-bay chancel with north and south aisles and a vestry positioned between the north chancel aisle and the north transept aisle.

The exterior displays Perpendicular features including a west end gable surmounted by a cross-shaped saddlestone. The west window is a two-tier five-light Perpendicular design. Below it is a doorcase with an arched opening, shields in the spandrels, hood moulding and a 19th-century traceried wooden door. The aisles have sloping roofs with cinquefoil-headed windows above arched doorcases with hood moulding. The north aisle features a crenellated parapet and tall two-tier arched windows divided by buttresses. The south aisle is similar and has lead rainwater heads dated 1827.

The central tower rises in three stages with a crenellated parapet and corner pinnacles. The bell chamber contains two-tier triple arched openings with wooden louvres and smaller arched windows below. An octagonal turret projects to the north.

The north transept displays a gable with cross-shaped saddlestone, a tall four-light arched window with cinquefoil heads, an arched doorcase below, and buttresses. Its east aisle has a tripartite arched window with cinquefoil lights. The south transept has a shorter window; its west wall masonry dates to the late 13th or 14th century. The south transept's east aisle features a tripartite arched window facing south and a four-light arched window facing east.

The chancel west wall is gabled with a tall five-light two-tier traceried window with cinquefoil heads. Below this is a stone niche containing a small mutilated seated stone carving under a cinquefoil canopy, possibly originally part of a Trinity. The chancel aisle west walls have sloping roofs with tripartite arched windows with cinquefoil heads. Both north and south walls feature tripartite arched windows with cinquefoil heads.

The interior contains a 17th-century plaster barrel-vaulted nave roof with square panels and bosses, dated 1638 with initials J B beneath a rose and letters T S beneath a thistle. The arcades have pointed arches supported on circular piers with octagonal capitals.

Wooden galleries from the 18th century occupy three sides of the nave, with the western gallery supported on columns. The pews date to 1879. The west window is from circa 1862 by Lavers. An octagonal stone font of the late 15th century features quatrefoil decoration. The pulpit of 1897 was designed by John Pearson and is made of Hoptonwood stone with Devonshire marble columns, depicting Christ the Good Shepherd flanked by the four evangelists.

The south transept, known since 1970 as the Chapel of St Francis, contains monuments of the Smythe family and was formerly called the Smythe Chapel or Strangford Chapel. Its south wall retains the only remaining part of the rood: a small stairway leading to an opening providing access to the rood loft. An armorial window of 1834 by Willement is located here.

The north transept has a north window by Kempe, a series of 19th-century wall monuments, and a First World War wooden memorial wall plaque designed by W Caröe. A wooden chancel screen of 1919, also by Caröe, stands in front of the chancel arch.

The chancel features columns and arcades of the Decorated period. The east window dates to 1882 by Lavers and Co. Choir stalls with poppyhead finials include sixteen medieval misericords, mostly decorated with foliage but including a pelican in her piety and a swine eating acorns. A black basalt floor slab lies in front of the sanctuary, which has a marble floor.

The west wall displays a carved coat of arms of Charles II and a series of mainly early 19th-century wall monuments. Against the south wall stands a marble and alabaster wall monument to Thomas Smythe (died 1591), Queen Elizabeth's Collector of Customs and Subsidies. It comprises two reclining figures beneath an elaborate architectural canopy with columns, pinnacles and coat of arms, with six kneeling sons and six kneeling daughters below.

To the east on the south wall is a black marble and alabaster monument to Sir John Smythe (died 1609), eldest son of Thomas. It shows two kneeling figures—Sir John in armour—beneath an architectural canopy with a kneeling son and two daughters beneath.

To the west is a black marble and alabaster monument to Sir Richard Smythe (died 1628), fourth son of Thomas. He was a customs officer, Receiver of the Duchy of Cornwall, and owned and largely rebuilt Leeds Castle. The monument comprises a recumbent armoured figure under an architectural canopy with Mannerist angels beneath a scrolled open pediment, with three kneeling wives, one son and four daughters below.

North of the high altar is the tomb of Sir John Fogge (died 1490), a large carved stone tomb chest. To the north is a brass of Elizabeth Countess of Atholl (died 1375) and the head of a priest from circa 1320.

A church was recorded at this location in Domesday Book in 1086 as "at Essitisford, a church and priest", which may indicate Saxon origins. In the 12th century, a charter of King Stephen recorded it as part of the Priory of Horton Kirby. The existing building dates from the late 13th or early 14th century and already possessed transepts. Between 1473 and 1483 the church was extensively renovated and partially rebuilt by Sir John Fogge, Lord of the Manor of Repton, who served as Treasurer to the household of Edward IV. The nave roof was replaced in 1638, though damage was caused during the Civil War through the destruction of medieval stained glass and monuments. In 1837 the nave was widened and in 1860 lengthened by one bay.