The Church of St Mary the Virgin
The present church is late Norman and was probably built around 1170 under the aegis of Albreda, granddaughter of Fulk de Lisours who had been allotted the parish in the early 12th century. The original church was almost certainly small with two cells (nave and chancel). It was narrow, tall and only two-thirds the present length. Since its foundation it has been radically altered, and only traces of the masonry of Albreda’s church remain. The church as we see it today is essentially as it would have appeared around 1520. It is now a Grade I listed building. The most recent alterations were made at the time of the millennium when an additional floor was inserted into a renovated vestry, and the whole joined up to the north aisle by a corridor containing kitchenette facilities on one Sprotbrough Flash 7side, and toilet (including disabled access) plus new boiler room on the other (known now as the Alpha and Omega Suite). A new sound system was installed in the church about the same time. Other recent changes include updating the church heating system, renovation of the church clock with the addition of automatic geosatellite control system, refurbishment of the clerestory windows in the north aisle, moving the font to its present position in the centre of the nave, three new stained glass windows, and revamping St Thomas’s Chapel to include a display area. New doors were recently installed in the north and south porches giving more light into the nave. The church can seat comfortably about 180 people, although on occasions such as the Christmas crib services there are many more. Seating is in fixed pews, which by definition are inflexible.
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