Church Of St Mary Magdalene

Parish church at Stockbury, comprising a west tower, nave with aisles, south porch, south and north transepts, chancel, and north porch. The building dates from the late 12th century through to the 15th century, with significant restoration of the east half after 1836 and restoration of the nave from 1851 to 1852 by R.C. Hussey. It is constructed of flint with stone dressings and has a plain tile roof.

The 15th-century west tower stands at an angle to the nave and rises in two stages on a plinth, with gargoyles and a battlemanted parapet; the top was reconstructed by Hussey. An original circular stair turret occupies the south-east corner, featuring a small two-centred arched door with hood-mould and hollow chamfer at its base. A 19th-century circular turret was added to the north side. An early Perpendicular west window and a large weathervane decorated with the date 1676 are notable features on the stair turret. The south aisle wall and south porch were rebuilt by Hussey.

The plinthless south transept has two restored lancets to its east wall. The circa 1200 chancel is lower than the nave and plinthless, with two large restored lancets on the south wall and two on the north wall, their hood-moulds terminating in curved stiff-leaf ornament; the east end is 19th-century work. The plinthless north transept contains two unrestored lancets to its east wall and a large Perpendicular north window, partly restored, said formerly to have been the chancel's east window.

The north aisle has late 12th-century origins and is built on a plinth. It features an octagonal rood-loft stair turret with a restored battlemanted parapet at its east end, and two restored Perpendicular windows. The north porch, now serving as a vestry, stands on a plinth with buttresses, and has a moulded doorway with hood-mould and a square panel bearing a quatrefoil and escutcheon above. A 19th-century octagonal stone chimney on a rectangular flint base stands at the junction with the aisle.

Internally, the four-bay nave has blocked round-headed clerestory windows. All but the west pier on either side were rebuilt in the 19th century. The north-west pier retains its original waterleaf capital and bell base, while the south-west pier has a Perpendicular capital with a similarly profiled bell base.

The four-bay arcaded chancel opens to the transepts via its two western bays. The north arcade and the east half of the south arcade feature slender detached Purbeck marble shafts with waterleaf bases and delicate stiff-leaf capitals, with square moulded abaci bearing arches with hollow chamfers and deep roll mouldings; several have been restored. The east, central, and west piers of the arcade crossing the south transept are considerably larger, fashioned from ordinary stone, and the central and west piers display highly elaborate sprayed stiff-leaf capitals. The chancel arch is 19th-century work. The arch between the south transept and south aisle has partly restored columns with stiff-leaf capitals and waterleaf bases. Part of a much larger round-headed arch with plain impost, extending beyond the line of the south aisle, is embedded in the west wall of the south transept. Fragments of early medieval window jambs survive in the south wall.

Triple lancets grace the east wall with worn keel moulding; the central lancet, now blocked, originally had Early English shafts removed from the chancel. The north transept lancets have plain corbelled imposts. The north-west corner of the north transept contains a jamb with hollow chamfer featuring a stiff-leaf chamfer-stop and eight-petalled flowers, fashioned from stones found in the south aisle wall.

The nave roof comprises five moulded crown-posts on moulded cambered tie-beams, with moulded cornice and braced pendant posts. The south transept roof has two octagonal moulded crown-posts on moulded tie-beams, with ashlar pieces and moulded cornice to its east side; the remainder is ceiled or 19th-century.

Remaining Perpendicular traceried screens separate the chancel from the transepts. Complete medieval grisaille glass, possibly of the 15th century, survives in the north-east lancet of the north transept. A piscina in the south wall of the chancel features delicate miniature attached columns with stiff-leaf capitals and waterleaf bases and a restored trefoil head. A 17th-century ogee wooden font cover is present.

Two brasses on the chancel floor commemorate Dorothy Hooper, died 1648 (north side), and John Hooper, died 1617 (south side).