St. Mary the Virgin

A Church on the present site is likely to have been built in the eighth century, following the conversion of the South Saxons by St. Wilfrid. Details about such a church and its development prior to the Norman Conquest can only be a matter for speculation. The only material evidence of this early building consists of three large ancient stone blocks, now built into the exterior of the modern north wall. They were taken from a singular doorway in the old north wall of the knave when it was pulled down and the present north aisle was built in 1885. Mr. George Gilbert Scott, who surveyed the church in 1874, was of the opinion that the doorway belonged to a period certainly before the Norman Conquest and possibly before the Danish invasion. The earliest written record of the Church in Ninfield is in the Domesday survey of 1086 and apart from the aforementioned ancient stones, the earliest structural work now remaining is the thirteenth century stonework in the south and west walls of the knave. Unfortunately, the restoration of 1885, with its alterations and the addition of the north aisle has destroyed or overlaid some of the historically interesting features of the church, but others remain.

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