The Church is by far the oldest building in the village. According to the Domesday Book there were two small churches in Easton. The present parish church was undoubtedly built on the site of one of them and has been a centre of worship for at least 900 years. The site of the other church is unknown.

In 1955 the parishes of Easton and Martyr Worthy were merged, and in 1991 Itchen Abbas and Avington joined to become the Benefice of the Itchen Valley within the Alresford Deanery. All four churches continue to be used for regular-worship.

The present Church is thought to have been built between 1120 and 1170. The rounded windows on the north side of the nave and the arches of the south and north doors (the latter is now bricked up) are indicative of the Norman period.

The building was subjected to extensive alterations in the 1860s, under the supervision of the church architect Mr. Woodyer, and many features of the Church date from that period. It was a time of building and renovation influenced by the Ecclesiological Movement of the 19th century. The Ecclesiologists insisted on a return to 15th century ideas of church building with a sanctuary, chancel and nave symbolising the Trinity.

They rejected Georgian ideas which are perfectly represented at Avington church two miles from Easton.

The alterations took ten years and cost £2,000. The Church was reopened on November 26th 1870. The restoration service was attended by Samuel Wilberforce, Bishop of Winchester.

THE SANCTUARY AND THE CHANCEL

The east end of the Church is an apse with rib vaulting. The original window was altered in the 15th and then 19th century and the glass is by Hardman. The panelling was installed at the same time and has carved depictions of the Passion of Christ.

To the west of the Apse is a square rib vaulted Chancel. The ribs in both are finely moulded with simple bosses. The main arch to the Chancel has slender shafts with simple capitals and chevron decoration. Under the present altar is a broken stone slab, presumed to be the original altar base replaced in the 19th century. The altar rails installed as part of the 1860s alterations are made partly from 15th century woodwork. The older top panels are thought to be from the original Chancel screen. The floor was tiled in 1870 when gravestones were removed to form paving stones on the churchyard path.

The Chancel contains several memorials including some to past rectors of Easton.

The most interesting is that of Agatha Barlow who died in 1595, aged ninety.

A free translation could be:

"Barlow's wife, Agatha, doth here remain;
Bishop, then exile, bishop again.
So long she lived; so well her children sped,
She saw five bishops her five daughters wed."

The organ which stands on the north side of the Chancel was originally built for the Chapel at Eastbourne College Junior School by J.W. Walker in 1953. It was installed in 1978 as a memorial to Miss Anne Harris, whose family lived in Easton for several generations. The door replaced in 1997 leads
to the Vestry.

The screen which divides the Chancel from the Nave dates from the 1860s. Some of the old screen may be incorporated into the altar rail.

The most noticeable feature of the Nave is the well proportioned early 18th century wooden vault of post and truss construction. The panelling round the walls was given by the Rev'd John Freshfield in 1919 to commemorate his fifty years of service to the church.

The pulpit, standing on a modern stone base is 17th century and has been much over-cleaned and varnished.

In the north wall, beside the pulpit, is a door onto a staircase leading to where the rood screen would have been. Rood screens were banned in the 16th century and very few remain; those that have survived no longer bear the Cross. The Gospels would have been read from the rood screen which was, in effect, a narrow gallery.

The windows in the north side of the Nave are typically Norman and are unaltered in shape and size. The corresponding windows in the south side were enlarged during the 15th century.

On the north wall is an attractive, delicately carved and painted memorial to the late Mrs. Dawson of Dymoke House opposite the Church. The two panels represent scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary; the visitation to Elizabeth and the Holy Family.

The north door, originally opposite the south door has been covered over for many years. The font was placed adjacent to the position of the north door in 1967, and was previously beneath the western arch. It dates from 1870.

Above the font, carved in the panelling are the names of those men from the village who died during the First and Second World Wars. Above the memorial is a Royal Coat of Arms dating from the reign of William IV, 1830-1839

The Bell Tower at the west end of the Nave has a Transitional Early English arch. There are six bells. The smallest three were cast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1970. Bell no. 4 is pre-Reformation (1539). Bell no. 5 is dated 1450. The tenor bell, weighing six and a half hundredweights is dated 1614. A fuller description of the bells is at the end of the book.

Externally the Church is built of flint with stone quoins and window surrounds. The roof is tiled. The bell tower, made much more elaborate in the 1860s, is roofed with wooden shingles. Internally there are massive wooden beams, which originally supported the bells and date from much earlier. The arch over the south door is original Norman but the supporting columns are 19th century. There is, however, the original conservation cross on the right hand door post. On the buttress to the east of the door can be seen a sundial carved into the stone, often found in early churches.

The lych gate was built in 1918 as a memorial to the men of Easton who died during the First World War. Their names are inscribed on the east side of the lych gate. The names of those villagers who served in the First World War are inscribed on the west side of the lych gate.

PATRONS OF THE BENEFICE

Bishop of Winchester ....... until 1885
Bishop of Lichfield............. 1885-1888
Lord Chancellor................... 1888-1955
Lord Chancellor and
Bishop of Winchester
alternately.............................. 1955-1971
Lord Chancellor................... 1971-

THE BELLS

St. Mary's, Easton is fortunate in having a ring of bells good enough to be on the itinerary of visiting bands. The bells were rehung in 1970 when the condition of the tower made it desirable to lower the bells. The three original bells were augmented by three new ones. The reinstallation was supervised by the Diocesan Architect, Richard Sawyer.

The three lighter bells were cast by Taylors of Loughborough in 1969/1970. The treble has the inscription:

"O clap your hands together all ye people
0 sing unto God with voice of melody"

No. 2 bell is inscribed: 1970

In memory of Frederick and Florence Galbraith married in this church of St. Mary's Easton 1904 and was donated by their daughter. The treble and No. 2 bells each weigh 3 cwts 12 Ibs. No. 3 bell weighs 3 cwts 2qtrs 21bs is inscribed

Remember Brian Charles Malony Rector 1953-1959

No. 4 is the oldest bell. From its shape, we know it was cast before 1450. The founder is unknown, and the inscription is reversed.

It would appear that the inscription had been cut from an earlier bell but set in the mould with pieces missing. The result:

JHUHAVE MERCY / UPPON THE SOULIS
OF T / HOMAS STOCKER & I OF SEPTEM /
YE YEAR OF OUR LORD

The bell weighs 4cwt. 211bs.
No. 5 bell was cast by Robert Landon of the Wokingham Foundry in about 1450. It has four founders marks and since it has the inscription AVE MARIA was probably an Angelus bell. The weight is 5cwt. 71bs

No. 6, the tenor bell, was cast in 1614 by Roger Beckinsall, an itinerant founder. Whilst in each place, the founder hoped to attract customers from other churches. We cannot be certain the bell was cast in Easton churchyard, however we do know that there was a casting site in Alresford at this time.
The inscription is:

"In God is My Hope 1614".

The bell weighs 6cwt 581bs.