It claims to have the second longest nave (after Christchurch Priory), and the largest West Window of any parish church in the country.

[3] The present church is not the first building to stand on the site, the first being built in the seventh century, founded by King Sigeberht.

At the suggestion of Edward VII, who visited the church in 1904, a marble kerb surrounds her grave stone.

[6] During the 16th century, John Notyngham and Jankyn Smyth, two wealthy local benefactors, bequeathed large amounts of money to the church.

[6] St Wolstan's chapel, on the north-west side, formerly held the Suffolk Regimental cenotaph until it was moved to the end of the north aisle.

Arcades of ten majestic bays march towards the chancel, each rising on continuous mouldings with only the tiniest of capitals.

[10] Until recently, St Mary's Church had a traditional Anglican choir of boys and gentlemen, with a history dating back to as early as 1354, after which there are many references to singers and ‘childs with a surplys’.

The choir has more recently toured Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, Israel and Malta, France, Belgium, and Germany, and has sung evensongs at cathedrals including Canterbury and St Paul's.

There have been later rebuilds by Hill, Norman and Beard in 1931, John Compton in 1959, and Kenneth Canter in 1988, the latter included providing a mobile console.