St Mary’s Church
Audio guide to this location
Audio Transcript
You are standing beside one of Walton’s oldest and most important buildings.
St Mary’s Church is a Grade I listed building, with parts of its structure dating back almost 900 years. Some of the stonework may even be Saxon in origin, while much of the church we see today was built during the 12th century, with additions made over the centuries that followed.
Look up at the square flint tower, which houses a ring of eight bells. The oldest of these dates from 1606 and can still be heard ringing out across Walton today.
Inside the church, you’ll discover a wealth of history. The north aisle contains an impressive monument to Richard Boyle, Viscount Shannon, who lived at nearby Ashley Park. There is also a brass memorial to John Selwyn, keeper of Oatlands Park, shown alongside his wife and eleven children.
One of the church’s more curious stories concerns a 17th-century scold’s bridle, a harsh form of punishment that was once kept here and later mentioned in Jerome K. Jerome’s *Three Men in a Boat*. The original bridle, made in 1633, was stolen in 1965 and has never been recovered. If you look carefully inside the church, you can still see the wooden cupboard where it was once displayed.
The churchyard also tells important stories. Here you will find the memorial to New Zealand soldiers who died while being treated at the nearby Mount Felix military hospital during the First World War. Each April, St Mary’s hosts Walton’s ANZAC Day commemorations, remembering the Australian and New Zealand servicemen who were cared for here.
St Mary’s also played a part in the turbulent years following the English Civil War. The church appears in the story of the Surrey Diggers, a group of radical reformers who challenged land ownership and social inequality in the 17th century.
If the church is open, do take a look inside. Near the entrance you will usually find a free guide highlighting many of the church’s historic features and monuments.
From St Mary’s Church, follow Church Walk, turn right into Churchfield Road and left into High Street. Your next stop is Ireton’s House.
St Mary’s Church Tower
Bell ringers at St Mary’s Church
View from the Church
lumpy-stevens-grave
Lumpy Stevens Gravestone
Did You Know?
- The oldest bell in St Mary’s tower dates from 1606 and is still rung today.
- Cricketer Edward “Lumpy” Stevens, one of the greatest bowlers of the 18th century, is buried in the churchyard. His bowling is said to have inspired the introduction of the third stump to cricket.
- The churchyard contains a memorial to New Zealand soldiers who died at the nearby Mount Felix Hospital during the First World War.
- Composer Jerome Kern, famous for songs including Ol’ Man River, Smoke Gets in Your Eyes and The Way You Look Tonight, married Eva Leale at St Mary’s after the couple met at the nearby Swan Hotel (which you will visit on this trail)
- The church also has connections with the Surrey Diggers, the radical movement that challenged land ownership during the English Civil War.