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St Mary’s Church, Tydd St Mary

Helpful Hints

The tour is recorded using a 360 degree camera and supplemented by detailed photographs and information. The tours are viewable on Smartphones. This means you can move the image by dragging a finger across the screen opening up a 3D vista.

To view the tour 
1) If the play button appears click on it this refreshes the display.

2) White chevrons are visible and this moves you through each view.

3) if an “I” appears click on it as will give extra information 

History and Highlights
St. Mary’s Church in Tydd St Mary, Lincolnshire, is a Grade I listed building with
a rich history spanning over 800 years.
It uniquely features a rare 15th-century brick tower and boasts ties to the only Englishman ever to become Pope. 
 
Key Historical Highlights
  • Early Beginnings: A wooden Saxon church stood here prior to being recorded in the Domesday Book. It was replaced around 1130 by a Norman church, parts of which (including the large nave columns) still survive today. 
  • Famous Rector: Between 1154 and 1159, the Rector of Tydd St Mary was Nicholas Breakspear. He later became the first and only English Pope, taking the name Adrian IV. 
  • The 15th-Century Tower: The impressive 55-foot west steeple is one of the few medieval brick-built towers in Lincolnshire. It is topped with a slate-covered 55-foot spire and paired with a 15th-century octagonal font decorated with angels. 
  • The Trafford Connection: The church contains several monuments dedicated to the Trafford family of Dunton Hall, including an alabaster coffin lid of William de Tydd and a prominent wall monument dedicated to Sigismund Trafford (d. 1741). 
  • Victorian Restorations: The stone-built chancel was extensively restored in 1869, which is also when the current striking east window was installed. The church grounds feature a 1919 lychgate built to honor villagers who died in the World Wars.