Square limestone church tower with clock

Towers are a landmark to help people find the church, and in coastal areas they have often aided maritime navigation. St Mary's position on a hill adds to the tower's impact on the surrounding landscape. Towers come in different shapes, sometimes with a spire or a dome on top and they often have bells and stairs inside. This tower is now square, but the 15th Century this tower had a wooden spire on top, which was hit by lightning in 1828 and destroyed in the subsequent fire.