St Mary's has an aisleless nave with plain 12thc. N and S doorways, both under porches but the N porch blocked off and converted into a vestry. The chancel is entirely 19thc. (by St Aubyn, 1891), with big niches to N and S. The N niche contains the 1634 tomb of Katherine Lady Gorges (d.1633); the N contains the organ. The west tower is 13thc. and unbuttressed but has shafts at the angles. Its bell-openings date from 1705. The church is faced with grey rubble except for the chancel, of regularly coursed brown sandstone.

The largest part of Maidwell (4 hides and 2 parts of 1 virgate) was held by Berner from Mainou in 1086. Smaller holdings were in the hands of St Edmundsbury Abbey (one third of 1 virgate) and Ansgar the clerk (1 hide and 3 virgates). No church was recorded, although the presence of Ansgar might suggest one.

Benefice of Maidwell with Draughton and Lamport with Faxton.

Despite the simplicity of the doorways, the chamfered jambs and surviving impost moulding on the S doorway suggest a date towards the end of the 12thc.