Halesworth is mentioned in the Domesday Book, and its church is probably late Saxon in origin, with later additions. Among them, an unusual 18th-century altar. Inside the church, there is an engraved tablet in memory of Sir William Hooker and his son, Joseph, the first two directors Kew Gardens and former residents of the town. A grand church for such a small town, St Mary’s also has a tall tower, a weathercock and a very pretty churchyard.