It is a notable wool church and regarded as one of the finest examples of Late Perpendicular Gothic architecture in England.

The chancel is the oldest part of the current church, having been constructed in c. 1340 and decorated with money from wealthy citizens, including Thomas Spring II.

In the decades following the Black Death the town of Lavenham grew rich as a result of the booming wool trade.

The architect is thought to have been John Wastell, who built the Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge, which is very similar.

The diplomat, Sir Cecil Spring Rice, gave substantial funds for repair work to the tower in the 20th century.

[6] There are numerous other outstanding fittings, including a painted rood screen dating from c. 1330–1340 and an octagonal font also from the 14th century which is much worn.

Funeral monuments range from the 15th to 17th centuries and include one small memorial brass to an infant, showing the child wrapped in blankets.

[7] The wrought-iron gates at the entrance to the porch were made by local blacksmith Edgar Clark Lingley (1822-1888) as were the latch and handle on the doors, which date from1865.

However, due to a large sum of money being left in the will of Thomas Spring, further work was undertaken in the early 16th century, resulting in the unusual size and grandeur of the tower today.

[6] The church clock, which has no external dial, was made by Thomas Watts in 1775; an hour strike and quarter chimes were installed to mark Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee.