The large village of Overton is located to the W of Basingstoke, in N Hampshire. The church of St Mary lies on the N side of the settlement. It comprises a much restored 13thc. chancel with a vestry and organ chamber of 1897 on its N side, a nave with N and S aisles of c.1200, a S porch of 1850-54 containing a neo-Norman doorway, and a W tower, with a baptistery on its S side, dating from 1908 (spire added 1913). When the original W tower was built, in 1538, the nave and aisles were extended by one bay to adjoin and overlap it. In 1999 church rooms were built to the N and in 2005 the font was moved from the baptistery to the E end of the N aisle. In addition to the late 12thc. N and S arcades, the church retains several carved fragments which were found during the demolition of the 1538 tower in 1907.

Overton was held by the Bishop of Winchester in 1086. It was evidently a large village with two churches: the parish church and the chapel of Tadley.

A letter of 1538 refers to men from Overton visiting Titchfield Abbey (26 miles to the S) to inspect the S aisle ‘for the building of a tower for their bells’ (Bullen et al. 2010, 437-438).

The church was repaired and largely rebuilt in 1853. This work included the S porch and the neo-Norman S doorway. The architect was Benjamin Ferrey.

Under Canon Stenning, who was appointed rector in 1896, the chancel was ‘almost rebuilt’ and the church reroofed (Hampshire Chronicle, 9 May 1908, 5). In 1897 a vestry and organ chamber, designed by E. P. Warren, was built on the N side of the chancel.

By 1907 the W tower had become unsafe due to the weight of a spire, probably added by Ferrey in the 1850s. It was demolished and a new W tower, with an enlarged baptistery on its S side, was built to designs by Cancellor & Hill. Much of the old stone was reused. On 6 May 1908, celebrating the laying of the foundation stone, Sir William Portal reported that the demolition of the old tower ‘has revealed much that is of interest, for within its walls were found embedded many carved fragments of some earlier periods. Several mouldings of the Early English style of architecture have been disclosed which may have formed portions of some former ecclesiastical building in this parish, or may have been brought here as the result of demolitions elsewhere. Some of these ancient mouldings will be utilised to adorn the archway which will open from the new baptistery into the tower. Pieces of Norman columns have been found, but the most interesting of the fragments discovered is one which probably formed part of a richly carved font of the Saxon or pre-Norman period’ (Hampshire Chronicle, 9 May 1908, 5). It was reported that a niche was being built in the SW angle of the baptistery to display the font fragment.

When the new W tower was completed in November 1908, further information was provided. Amongst the fragments was ‘the marble base of the Norman font in the church . . . and this has now been utilised as a base for the existing font. Four Norman caps, also discovered in the old tower, have been placed, one in each corner on the floor of the baptistery. Canon Stenning thinks that these came from Wherwell Priory’ (Hampshire Observer, 7 November 1908, 8).

In 1901 Canon Stenning, the rector, deplored Ferrey's neo-Norman S doorway: ‘the south doorway . . . was what was generally a failure, modern Norman, and he was afraid they couldn’t say their church was any exception to the general rule’ (Reading Mercury, 21 September 1901, 10).

The capitals of the neo-Norman doorway resemble those of the N and S arcades, having sheathed cones and unusually high, flat areas above the shields. It is likely that both arcades were heavily restored by Ferrey. Historic England dates the arcades to c.1180 but the presence of keel mouldings suggests that they may be later, c.1190. They find a counterpoint nearby at North Waltham, where the N arcade was rebuilt in 1865-66 by J. Colson.

Although the stone for the W tower of 1538 came from Titchfield Abbey, the carved fragments must have a different origin. Titchfield Abbey was not founded until 1222, but the font fragment and capital can be dated to c.1120. Moreover, the fragments seem to include pieces of two different baptismal fonts, unlikely to have come from a Premonstratensian house. It is possible that Overton acquired stone from various sources in order to build the tower. Furthermore, it is evident that the former W wall of Overton church would have been demolished to allow the extension of the nave and aisles, and the erection of the new tower. Some of the carved fragments might, therefore, have come from Overton itself: not all, however, as the church is highly unlikely to have had two 12thc. fonts.

The Buildings of England reported three cushion capitals in the baptistery but only one could be found (affixed to the NW corner) in the course of CRSBI fieldwork.