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This is a transport-ship of a church - long and low, moored like a barque amidst the trees on the edge of Sawston Park. At first this looks like a characteristic production of the 14th century - the tower, porch, aisle and clerestory all date from this time. The exterior of the chancel is confusing, with two exceptionally large Perpendicular windows, a romanesque Priest's Door and lancet windows characteristic of the 13th century (on the South side, as you can see in the pictures, they exist in outline only, having been all but obliterated by the later, bigger openings).
Unfortunately, we didn't get to have a proper look around St Mary - there was a meeting going on the chancel, and even if they'd been happy to let us wander around, I didn't much like the idea of having the parish council watching me as I made notes. I did pick up a leaflet, though, so I can give you a brief description of the interior (pending a return visit).
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The nave arcades at the west end are 12th century, indicating that there was a reasonably big church here quite early on. The nave was extended and the chancel rebuilt in the 13th century, and the aisles, tower and clerestory followed in the 14th. A chapel was added at the end of the north aisle in the 15th century, at the same time as those huge windows were put into the chancel. These were probably paid for by the de la Poles, who held the manor of Sawston at the time. Pevsner thinks the romanesque door is a re-set survival from an earlier church, and I'm inclined to agree with him, for once.
Looking more closely at the guide a bit later on, I kicked myself for not being a bit more courageous, for St Mary contains a number of splendid tombs and brasses. The altar tomb for Elizabeth de la Pole (who died in childbirth in 1423) looks particularly fine - she lies in an elaborate niche in the north wall of the chancel, her canopy and her chest tomb decorated with the family arms.
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Even without going inside, though, there was plenty to enjoy. I liked the big gargoyles staring down from the clerestory and north aisle upon the road. The porch was also attractive - not especially elaborate but posessed of a magnificent wrought iron lamp above the door.
The churchyard, too, is lovely: when we visited in January 2004 the grass was studded with snowdrops, and it has one of the finest Cedars of Lebanon I've seen for a long time. I look forward to returning in the summer.
St Mary the Virgin was open when we visited.