Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ashwell

The Church of St Mary the Virgin in Ashwell in Hertfordshire is the Anglican parish church for the village. It comes under the Diocese of St Albans and is one of the largest village churches in the county. The church dates almost entirely from the 14th century and is renowned for its ornate tower which stands at 176 feet (54 m) and which is crowned by an octagonal lantern with a leaded fleche or spire. The church also contains some medieval graffiti carved on its walls which highlights the plight of survivors of the bubonic plague pandemic known as the Black Death. The church has been Grade I listed since 1968.

It is not known if an earlier church occupied the site but if one did its materials would presumably have been incorporated into the present church, which was completed in 1381 using clunch, flint rubble and a small quantity of red bricks. St Mary's church is an impressive building with a large West tower built in four stages, the top half of the tower having been added some time after 1415 while the lead-covered wooden flèche was added between 1415 and 1562. At 176 feet (54 m) including the flèche, the tower is the tallest in Hertfordshire.

The North porch and the aisle windows were added in the 15th century; the North porch is single storey and retains its original door arch and windows while the two-storey 14th century South porch has many of its original features with a gabled front which was restored in the 19th century. The North aisle is dedicated to St James. The nave is of 5 bays and the chancel retains its mid-14th century sedilia. The original rood screen dividing the chancel from the nave was probably destroyed during the English Reformation. Today in its place is a modern cross above the altar of The Risen Christ by John Mills, President of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and who lives nearby in Hinxworth Place.

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