Church Of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a Grade II* listed church located in Sydenham. It dates back to the 13th century and underwent restoration in 1850 by J. Billing of Reading, which included lengthening the nave, rebuilding the tower arches, replacing the tower, and adding a north transept and vestry. The church is constructed of knapped flint with stone dressings and features an old plain-tile roof, along with a weatherboarded spire topped with a shingle roof.

The layout consists of a nave and chancel with a central tower. A 19th-century porch has a two-centred archway and doorway, leading to a 19th-century plank door. The church has lancet windows, and the pyramidal spire, located to the right of the center, includes two-light louvred openings on each side. The rear features lancet windows throughout, while the east end showcases a three-light window with intersecting tracery, and the west end has paired lancet windows.

Inside, there is a plaster vault in the chancel and a two-centred chancel arch, along with a two-centre crossing-arch. The nave roof is a 15th-century four-bay hammerbeam design with two rows of windbraces, while the transept and vestry have a two-bay hammerbeam roof. Notable interior features include a piscina to the right of the crossing-arch and a plain round stone font, likely from the 12th century, with its decoration removed. Additionally, the north and south walls of the chancel retain the rare survival of wooden pulley wheels and corbels of a Lenten Veil.