Church of St Mary

The Church of St Mary is a church dating to the late 12th century and 13th century, with later Perpendicular and 19th-century alterations. It is constructed of squared coursed ironstone, with lead and tile roofs. The church comprises a chancel, aisled nave and clerestory, a north and south porch, and a west tower. Re-used 13th-century work is incorporated into the priest’s doorway on the north side of the chancel. A 19th-century tracery window is located in the south aisle’s east wall. A late Perpendicular window, featuring two arched, uncusped lights and a square head, sits to the east of the south porch. The south porch is Late Perpendicular, dating to the 16th or 17th century, with a 13th-century inner doorway. A trefoil-headed lancet appears in the west wall. The three-stage 12th-century tower features a plain lancet to the west, and bell openings with a single cusped light, the north one flanked by blind cusped arches. A plain lancet is situated to the west of the north aisle. A 2-light Late Perpendicular window, with two uncusped lights and a square hood, is located west of the porch. A north porch, dating to the 14th century, bears a plaque inscribed 1649/HH/IK, likely recording a restoration. The inner doorway of this porch is late 12th century, with a chamfered round-headed arch and plain jambs. A three-light, square-headed Perpendicular window (probably rebuilt) stands to the east of the porch, alongside a 14th-century three-light window with Geometrical tracery. The clerestory is Perpendicular in style. Internally, a 13th-century double piscina recess in the chancel has a central shaft with a bell capital, side shafts with stiff leaf capitals, and a deeply moulded trefoil arch. Triple lancets in the east wall have jamb shafts with recessed 18th-century stiff leaf capitals. The north aisle’s interior is from the 12th century, featuring three bays with pointed, unchamfered arches, round piers, and square abaci. The three-bay south arcade was rebuilt in the 19th century using 13th-century material, displaying single chamfered arches, round piers, and octagonal abaci. A 13th-century piscina in the south aisle contains a trefoiled niche with a crocketed hood. The roofs are 19th century. The church’s 1846 restoration was documented by Sir Henry Dryden in an address to the Northamptonshire Archaeological Society in 1879. The 18th-century naturalist, Gilbert White, served as vicar of Moreton Pinkney and curate of Selbourne, Hampshire.