St Mary

The two churches have so much in common, including wheel windows and two highly decorated south doors, that it seems likely they shared the same builder. As at Barfreston, Patrixbourne's decorated stonework is Caen stone from Normandy, and Patrixbourne church was given to a priory in Rouen in 1200.

The south door here is particularly fine, with Christ in Majesty in the tympanum surrounded by a dazzling array of carved patterns, foliage, animals, birds, people, and creatures of the apocalypse. The wheel window is at the east end, and as at Barfreston, the spokes of the wheel are being eaten away by monstrous creatures.

Inside, the main attraction is the stained glass. Depicting different subjects, the panels include 16th and 17th century Swiss glass, with people in Swiss costumes and alpine landscapes. There are also grisaille scenes of the life of Christ, as well as figures of saints and secular scenes including characters such as Pyramus and Thisbe, familiar to us from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.