The church stands prominently overlooking the village. It has been said there has been a church here since Saxon times. St.Mary’s is a large church for a village of its present size, which indicates Ivinghoe would have been considerably larger when the church was built.

You are very welcome to come and visit and appreciate just what has been entrusted to us as a place of worship and centre for our village community. It is a fascinating place to spend an hour and then you might like to discover the nearby Ivinghoe village community tea rooms as recommended on the tripadvisor website.

This Grade 1 listed building is Early English, dating from 1220-30 and retains some original features such as the rose windows in the trancepts. The walls by the west door are thicker, suggesting that they formed part of an earlier church. The building was always cruciform in plan though the aisles, including the north doorway, were rebuilt during the fourteenth century a time when the tower was added.

Although the church building dates back to around 1230 the tower was not completed until after 1400.  The earliest record we have for the bells is from an inventory record dated July 1552, which lists 5 bells and a Sanctus bell.
The building is noted for its angel ceiling and the poupée pew ends which are Elizabethan. The restoration of 1872 by E.G.Street included the provision of a medieval style baptistry.  In 1872 under-floor heating was provided, now there are modern radiators, a kitchen and a toilet all of which encourage the daily ongoing use of the Church.

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