Visiting St Mary's is always an unforgettable experience. The location of the church is stunning and tourists come from miles around to explore all that it has to offer. Many also take time to have a coffee or snack in our Café before looking around the church building or strolling over to climb the Castle keep.
Built in the 1120's, St Mary's was constructed in the Norman style as an Augustinian Priory - the community buildings would have been fairly substantial, reaching to the Roman wall and including cloisters, a refectory and a dormitory. The building has been changed and adapted over the centuries to meet the needs of the communities using it at any given time, and it houses many reminders of those different points in history - the Norman carvings, the twelfth century font, the Elizabethan wall panel, the Victorian pulpit, and the modern altar rail, to mention but a few.
The church is open 9am-4pm in the winter and 9am-6pm in the summer, so do feel free to come and see for yourself. Guide Books (in a variety of languages) are to be found by the door as you enter the church and these will give you a more detailed overview of the building's history. A fun Children's Guide is also available for younger visitors. When you've had a look around the church, do pop into our tearoom for a pot of tea and a slice of homemade cake.
We hope you enjoy your visit to St Mary's!
Do remember that St Mary's is not a museum, but that it is home to a vibrant Christian community. As you look round you may wish to pick up one of our weekly notice sheets or pause to say a prayer. If you would like to make a donation towards the upkeep of the building and the work of the church, we would be most grateful - you will find a 'pillar safe' by the door as you leave.
