Description: | The church is, according to Nikolaus Pevsner, pleasantly un-over-restored. Most of the fabric dates from the thirteenth century. The church has an unusual plan, with unusually short aisle and nave, the chancel being over half the length of the building. The chancel dates from about 1230, built by the Bluett family. The walls are covered with cement and pebble-dashing.
St Mary's stands just inside the great walls of the Roman city of Calleva Atrebatum, probably on the site of a pagan temple.
References:
1. Pevsner, Nikolaus and David Lloyd. 1967. Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. The Buildings of England series, p. 505.
2. Mudie, Robert. 1838. Hampshire, volume 2, engraving opposite p. 13. |