Badley, St Mary's Church

A medieval church with many Georgian features, St Mary's is located in an isolated rural setting up a long track far from a major road. Though the church is medieval in origin, the main interest here is the unaltered Georgian interior, essentially unchanged for the last several centuries.

There was a church here in Saxon times, but this was rebuilt just before the Domesday Book was published in 1086. That Norman church forms the basis of the current building. The south door shows marks from round-shot fired by Cromwell's soldiers during the Civil War.

The interior is rustic and simple, but has a great charm and beauty, and has blessedly avoided Victorian updating.

There are a series of monuments to the local Poley family, and sundry other memorials and slabs. There are no less than 17 Poley slabs, which helps explain why St Mary's was once known as the Poley Shrine. There are 15th-century benches mixed with early Jacobean box pews. The font is Early English and is made of Purbeck marble.

The church is no longer used for regular worship and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. About a half-mile to the south, on private land, is an old holy well called Lady Well - located at TM061552.