Church of St Mary

The Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in the village of Mendlesham, Suffolk, as a Grade I listed building. Its earliest parts date from the Medieval period, with original 13th-century doorways in the aisles. The chancel was added in the 14th century, and the square tower was built in the 15th century. Between 1864 and 1866 the church underwent restoration. In 1955 it received Grade I status. The church belongs to the Archdeaconry of Ipswich in the Diocese of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. It follows the Traditional Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England. Because the parish does not ordain women, it receives episcopal oversight from the Bishop of Richborough, currently Norman Banks. Inside, visitors find a building shaped by centuries of worship. The aisles lead past medieval doorways into the chancel. The tower rises above the nave, its square form visible from the surrounding lanes. The restored fabric shows careful craftsmanship from the 19th-century work. The church remains a place of quiet continuity in the heart of Mendlesham.