Church of St Mary the Virgin

The earliest part of the present building is 12th century. However, the church was almost entirely rebuilt in the mid-15th century, during John Higham's tenure as vicar (1439-67). Wills, funding bequests and inscriptions give some dates for the work. The north aisle was "newly begun" in 1454, the chancel arch has an inscription of 1464, and work to the tower in 1477 suggests that the building was completed around this time. As the workmanship of the chancel is somewhat cruder than the nave, and it is later in date, the chancel may have been built by John Melford of Sudbury, Ely's former apprentice. Until the mid-16th century, Burwell had two churches; St Andrew's, across the street from St…

The church consists of an aisled nave of five bays, an aisleless chancel of three bays with a crypt under, north and south porches, a west tower with spirelet., and a south-west vestry. The exterior is built of flint rubble, while the interior is faced with clunch. The two lower stages of the tower survive from the 12th century church, and have blocked round-arched windows. The tower was buttressed in the 15th century, when it gained an additional three stages, octagonal like the lantern of Ely Cathedral and the more local towers at Swaffham Prior. The west end of the south aisle retains some work from the 14th century, with one window. The work of the 15th century campaign is in a unified…