St Mary the Virgin, Plumtree, consists of a chancel (with a N chapel now used as a vestry), a nave with a clerestory rising above N and S aisles, a W tower and a S porch. The main Romanesque features are the W tower doorway, blind arcading on the S wall of the tower, and the internal tower arch.

The church is mentioned in the Domesday Survey. It has Anglo-Saxon origins. Herringbone masonry is visible above the E side of the chancel arch and evidence of Anglo-Saxon foundations was found when the W tower was largely rebuilt in 1906.

The clerestory, S aisle and chancel are substantially of the late 15thc. The N aisle was originally 13thc. in date, but was rebuilt and enlarged in 1873 in the course of a restoration by George Frederick Bodley and Thomas Garner. The porch was also added at that time. The restoration included stone from the old Trent Bridge (which had been rebuilt in 1871).

Despite being largely rebuilt in 1906, the lower level of the W tower retains 11thc. or early 12thc. masonry.

There are unsubstantiated claims for a 9thc. date for the foundation of the church.

According to Du Boulay-Hill, there were originally three bays of blind arcading on the second stage of the tower, with a small round-headed window in the central bay. This arcading was lost when the tower was rebuilt at the beginning of the 20thc. Matching arcading on the S side was probably lost during the 14thc. or 15thc. refacing.

When Du Boulay-Hill visited in 1906 he thought that he could make out 'traces of volute ornament' on the capitals.

The work by Bodley and Garner in 1873-74 is very fine and has been carefully restored.