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St. Mary's Church in Long Wittenham, sometimes known as St. Peter, consists of a chancel 24 ft. 6 in. by 12 ft., nave 57 ft. 6 in. by 19 ft. 3 in. with north aisle 43 ft. 6 in. by 9 ft. 6 in., south aisle 6 ft. 6 in. wide, south transpect 14 ft. 6 in. by 21 ft. 6 in., west tower 10 ft. square and south porch. The measurements are all internal.

The nave of the present church with the chancel arch belongs to a building of early 12th-century date. In the 13th century the south arcade was built and the south aisle added; the chancel appears to have been rebuilt or lengthened about the same time, and at the end of the century, about 1300, the south transept was added. In the 14th century the north aisle and arcade were built and the south porch added, and in the 15th century the west tower was added. Early in the 16th century the nave clearstory was built and the roof is of the same date. The church was restored in 1850, when the chancel was entirely rebuilt, most of the windows being reinstated in their original positions.

The chancel has a modern east window, and in the north wall are three windows; the first is a 13thcentury lancet, the second a round-headed single light of the 12th century, and the third a late 13th-century window of two lights with a segmental pointed rear arch springing from two heads. In the south wall the first two windows are 13th-century lancets, and between them is a trefoil-headed piscina of the same date. In the sill of the first window are two piscina drains. Further west are a 14th-century priest's doorway and a two-light window, also of the 14th century. The early 12th-century chancel arch is recessed in two plain orders on the nave side, the outer resting on side shafts with carved capitals, now much defaced. The abacus is carried round the inner order as an impost and along the face of the wall as a string.

The nave has a 14th-century north arcade of three bays with octagonal piers and semi-octagonal responds with moulded bases and capitals; the pointed arches are of two chamfered orders. Cut in the east respond is a trefoil-headed niche on the north side, for a light, and on the same side is a pillar piscina with a moulded capital and base. The south arcade, of about 1230, is of four bays, with circular columns having foliated capitals and round moulded bases resting on square plinths; the foliage is boldly carved and differs in each capital. The east respond is very deep and is pierced by a segmental pointed arch, probably for a tomb, and has a label on the south face. The pointed arches are of two chamfered orders. The early 16th-century clearstory has three windows irregularly spaced on each side, all square-headed and of two plain lights, with oak lintels internally. The roof of the same period is low-pitched, with moulded tie-beams, wall posts and curved braces with quatrefoil spandrels; above the tie-beams are pierced cusped panels. The 14th-century north aisle has a squareheaded 15th-century east window of three lights. The two windows in the north wall are pointed and of three and two lights respectively. Between them is the 14th-century north doorway, which is moulded and pointed and has a segmental pointed rear arch. The west window of the same date is similar to the twolight window in the north wall. The south aisle, known as St. Thomas' aisle, is apparently of the 13th century, but the walls were heightened in the 14th century to receive larger windows. In the east wall is a 14th-century twolight window. The south doorway is pointed and of the same date, and further west are two uniform windows of two lights of 14th-century date. The flat aisle roofs have been restored. The south chapel or transept, built about 1300, has a three-light traceried window with a pointed head in the south wall. Below it is a remarkable piscina with a moulded and trefoiled head; at the head are two carved angels, probably originally with censers. In front of the quatrefoil drain is a recumbent armed and crosslegged figure in high relief; he wears a long surcoat and mail and holds an upright drawn sword in the right hand, and on the same arm is a shield. The work is of about 1300. The 14thcentury east window is square-headed and of two lights. The trussed rafter roof is ceiled and has heavy timbering across the entrance to the transept.

The 15th-century west tower is of three stages with a late embattled parapet. The tower arch is pointed and of two continuous chamfered orders, and the west window is pointed and of two lights with modern tracery. The bell-chamber is lighted by a square-headed single-light window in each face. The timber south porch is a remarkable example of 14thcentury work; it has a plain pointed outer arch and ogee cusping to the barge-boards; each side has five open lights divided by circular oak shafts and having cusped heads.

Below the first window on the north of the north aisle is a 14th-century tomb recess with a moulded segmental arch. In the south aisle is a tablet to Elizabeth wife of Richard Jennens (d. 1676), with a shield, a cheveron with three stars thereon between three fleurs de lis. At the east end of the aisle is a stone coffin-lid with a defaced floreated cross. The western window on the north of the chancel is filled with fine white grisialle glass with black foliage of vine-leaf type. The 12th-century window also contains grisaille glass with a three-leaf design in each quarry. In the first window on the south of the south aisle are some fragments of 14th-century glass, and two roundels of the same date remain in the east window of the transept.

The Jacobean pulpit is semi-octagonal with carved panels round the top, and the panelled parish chest is of the same period. Some old oak benches remain in the nave. Across the entrance to the transept is the handsome early 17th-century screen formerly in the ante-chapel of Exeter College, Oxford. The doorway is towards the west end, and to the north of it are four bays with open round-headed arches divided by Ionic pilasters enriched with strapwork. The spandrels have well-carved cherubs, and the lower part of the openings is filled with pierced strapwork panels. The arch of the doorway has strap ornament, and in the spandrels are two shields, a bend between six trefoils with a molet for difference, the arms of George Hakewell, rector of Exeter 1642–9. The base is plainly panelled. The chancel stalls are also from Exeter College; the bench ends have poppy heads carved with grotesque figures.

The remarkable 12th or 13th-century lead font is circular, and rests on a round stone base; the lower part has a range of round arches, each containing a figure of an archbishop in relief; the upper part is divided into rectangular panels enriched with circular stamped designs. The font was formerly covered with an octagonal Jacobean oak casing with incised designs on each face, and had a pyramidal oak cover of similar character.

There are six bells, all by Lester & Pack of London, 1765. There is also a ting-tang hung in the west window of the bell-chamber.

The plate includes a cup and cover paten (London, 1576), the cup inscribed 'this plath belongeth to Long Wittenham,' and the paten inscribed 1577.

There are also a pewter flagon and plate bought, according to the churchwardens' accounts, in 1716; the flagon is inscribed 'this plate belongeth to Long Wittenham Church 1717.' The more recent plate comprises a chalice and paten of 1870, and two patens of 1869 and 1905, respectively.

The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i) baptisms 1577 to 1627, marriages 1561, to 1629, burials destroyed; (ii) baptisms and burials 1736 to 1779, marriages 1736 to 1753; (iii) marriages 1755 to 1776; (iv) baptisms and burials 1779 to 1812; (v) marriages 1776 to 1812.

Historical information about St. Mary's Church is provided by 'Parishes: Long Wittenham', in A History of the County of Berkshire: Volume 4, ed. William Page and P H Ditchfield (London, 1924), pp. 384-390. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/berks/vol4/pp384-390 [accessed 23 March 2023].

St. Mary's Church is a Grade I listed building. For more information about the listing see CHURCH OF ST MARY, Long Wittenham - 1368798 | Historic England.

For more information about St. Mary's Church see Parishes: Long Wittenham | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk).