St Mary's has a clerestoreyed nave with N and S aisles. The arrangement
of the arcades is rather complex. There are six
bays on the N and five on the S. The two east
bays of each arcade correspond.
The next pier W of each arcade
is a short section of wall with responds to E and W and transverse arches
across nave and aisles. W of this there are four bays
in the N arcade but only three in the S, although the
arcades are of equal length. This is because the S
arcade has pointed arches throughout, and the N round
arches. Of this ensemble, the earliest work is in the W section of the N
arcade, say c.1190-1210. The two E
bays of both arcades date from
a decade later; pier 1 of each arcade is cylindrical with a moulded capital and the arches on
the N are round, but on the S the round arches have been replaced by pointed
ones with an unusual double hollow profile. This modification probably belongs
to the later 13thc., and from this period too dates the entire west section of
the S arcade. The E part of the present nave was, of
course, the chancel originally, with chapels to N and S
now integrated into the nave aisles. A new chancel was
built to the E in the 13thc., but the present chancel
is largely of 1866-67, and by James Fowler of Louth. The remainder of the
church was restored in the same period, by William Slater of Northampton. The S
nave doorway is covered by a porch, which also
incorporates a tiny 13thc. chapel, once vaulted, open to the S aisle. The W
tower dates from c.1250, and has a 14thc. ashlar broach
spire.
