St Mary's may seem a surprisingly big church for a small village, reflecting its history as being the centre of the Mediaeval Stottesdon Hundred. There has been a place of worship here for over a thousand years. The listed, heritage building you see now is the result of ten centuries of the evolution of a Saxon church. The early Medieval lintel and carving in the tympanum at the base of the tower are remnants from this time.

St Mary's is distinguished by its beautiful Hereford School carved stone font which was made in 1138 by the 'Aston Master Mason' and is an example of Romanesque Sculpture. It is intricately carved from a single piece of stone.

In the 1300s the tower was extended, clearly shown through more subtle stonework. The South aisle was also extended to become virtually as big as the Nave and the porch was added. During this time the chancel was built in what is called Decorated style. This style of architecture was common in England from about 1290 to about 1350. Its main feature was the ornamental stone carving around windows and doors.

In 1771 the south aisle was rebuilt following a collapse. The Victorian era saw major changes to St. Mary's as part of a huge church building renovation programme to cater for a growing number of church-goers. The pews and eagle lectern date from this period.

In 1901 the rood screen was added in the Arts and Crafts style using nature as inspiration and the value of simplicity, utility and beauty.

A major restoration completed in 2024 (with National Lottery funding) included new heritage interpretation so that everyone can learn about this thousand-year old treasure at the heart of our community. Come and see for yourselves or visit https://www.stottyheritage.co.uk for a preview!