Grade I listed A priest is mentioned at Willingdon in the Domesday Book. The nave and north aisle or Ratton Chapel are 14th C. but possibly date back to late 12th Century when it was a nave with no chancel.The chancel was built around 1400. The south door is from before 1250 in a 15th C porch. The tower, with shingled broach spire is early 13th C. possibly from an earlier church, the original nave converted to the north aisle and a new nave built to the south, but this is unlikely. The 14th C.north aisle has a 4 bay arcade, one of which was added in the 19th C. The south side of the nave was altered in 15h C. The Parker family owned Ratton Manor from the 16th C. to mid 18th C. and have many have memorials in the church, the east window of the Ratton chapel from 1622 includes several coats of arms of the family connections. Some restoration to the church were done in 19th C. and in 1904 the north west vestries were built. The church suffered bomb damage in WWII and lost many windows, and in the 1940's the interior was decorated and altered. The rood was given as an anonymous gift in 1954. The organ is a 1974 2 manual Mander with 19 stops. See other images of St Mary's church, Willingdon
