Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary, located on the west side of The Street in Bishopsbourne, is a Grade I listed building. It features knapped flint construction with a tiled roof and a weathervane atop the tower. The church includes a chancel with north and south chapels, which now serve as the vestry and the family pew of Bourne Park, respectively, along with a nave that has aisles. The chancel, nave, and aisles date back to the 13th century, while the north and south chapels and the tower were added in the 15th century. The choir stalls are also from the 15th century.

Notably, the Reverend Richard Hooker, who wrote 'Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity' and served as the rector of Bishopsbourne from 1595 to 1600, is buried here and has a memorial in the church. There is an attractive early 19th-century memorial plaque dedicated to John McDivitt from 1839. The stained glass includes some original pieces in the chancel, as well as works by Burne-Jones and mid-16th-century glass. The church features boarded wagon roofs designed by Scott in 1871, and the churchyard contains carved tombstones adorned with cherubs and skulls.