Description from record TR 24 NE 9:
[TR 26434571] St. Mary's Church [NAT] (1) The Church of St. Mary, Lydden, is Norman and later. (2) In normal use. (3) Parish Church of St. Mary (formerly listed as Church of St. Mary Virgin) Church Lane. Grade 11* 12 c. origin, now largely 13 c., restored 1866, 1868-9 and 1899. (4)(5) Additional bibliography (6)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 24 NE LYDDEN CHURCH LANE (south side) 2/85 Church of 22.8.62 St. Mary (formerly listed as Church of St Mary Virgin) GV II* Parish Church. C12 origin, now largely C13, restored 1866, 1868-9 and 1899. Flint with plain tiled roof. Chancel, nave with west tower and south porch. Single stage tower, the top stage removed after C16 earth- quake damage, with clasping buttresses and brick eaves cornice to low tiled spire, and blocked belfry windows. Small single lights on ground floor with trefoil heads carved from single block, C13 south porch with chamfered outer door and roll moulded inner doorway with attached shafts, and medieval ogee-shaped door. Chancel stepped in from nave, with corner buttresses to nave and chancel. East wall rebuilt Cl9. Lancets throughout. Interior: C19 chamfered doorway to tower. Blocked stop-chamfered north doorway, tall and narrow. Two chamfered. elliptical recesses in north wall, the easternmost with a low window inset, and 2 on south wall, with crude enrichment of figures, flower ornament, attached shafts and cusping; utilised or intended as tomb recesses for the Monyns family. Blocked and truncated semi-circular arch in extreme south east of nave with small round-headed lancet on east wall C19 trussed rafter roof. Chancel arch of 1866, and C19 chancel roof. Two hollow chamfered elliptical recesses on south wall, integral with double sedilia. Simple trefoiled piscina in chancel. Fittings all C19. (BOE Kent II, 1983,375).
Listing NGR: TR2620645497 (8)

<1> O.S. 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE47834.

<2> MHLG (2045/11/A, Sep 1960) 15 (OS Card Reference). SKE46982.

<3> F1 ASP 24-APR-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42257.

<4> DOE (HHR) Dist of Dover 1987 38 (OS Card Reference). SKE40258.

<5> The Buildings of England North East and East Kent 1983 375 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50190.

<6> Arch Cant 43 1931 1-27 (A Vallance) (OS Card Reference). SKE35119.

<7> Field report for monument TR 24 NE 9 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5651.

<8> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.