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St Mary's Church, Canons Ashby

From the official guide book: "The pinnacled tower of St Mary's church is visible for miles around. It was built about 1250 as the church of the Augustinian priory on the scale of a small cathedral. The Cope and the Dryden families demolished the chancel, choir and half the nave leaving only the two westernmost bays of the nave which form the present church. The ground level arcade of the west front (facing the road) comprises columns of the local dark orange ironstone which contrast attractively with the pale cream stone of the arches. The large Perpendicular window above was probably inserted in the late 14th century. Sir Robert Dryden rebuilt the south front in the late 17th century and Sir Henry Dryden restored three of the tower pinnacles in 1838 to 1857."
A plaque inside the church states that it is one of only four private churches in the country.