St Mary's Church, Tenbury Wells

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St Mary’s Church is an Anglican church in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, England. It belongs to the Diocese of Hereford and is a Grade II* listed building.

History and surroundings
The church dates from the 12th and 14th centuries, with later rebuilding and repairs. The oldest part is the tower, created in the mid-1100s. In the 1300s the nave and chancel were rebuilt and the north and south aisles added, giving the present layout. The church sits beside the River Teme and suffered serious floods in 1770, which led to rebuilding of the south-aisle walls and repairs to the north aisle. It was restored in 1864 to designs by the architect Henry Woodyer. Another flood occurred on 14 May 1886, and a brass plate in the south aisle records how high the water rose.

Interior and features
Inside, four-bay arcades with pointed arches stand on pillars shaped with quatrefoils, and there is a pointed arch at the chancel. The chancel, nave and aisles have open timber roofs, and there is a west gallery. The church has a stone pulpit with reliefs and a stone font; many features were added in the 19th century. The south porch, organ chamber and vestry are also from the late 19th century. There are memorials in the chancel and in the aisles.

Alabaster tomb
At the east end of the south aisle is an alabaster tomb for Thomas Acton of Sutton (died 1546) and his wife Mary (died 1564). The tomb panels show their two sons, Lancelot and Gabriel, as kneeling youths, and their daughter Joyce, who erected the tomb in 1581 after marrying the politician Thomas Lucy.