St Dunstan was built in the late 12th century with just a chancel and nave, the north and south aisles being added a little later. In the 14th century a spacious east end was created. In the northwest pier of the chancel, the remains of the entrance and steps to the medieval rood loft can be seen. At the west end of the north aisle there is a wall painting of a great ship dated c.1500, a reminder of the nearby shipbuilding yards that existed at that time. The Rev. Richard Harris Barham, author of the humorous tales The Ingoldsby Legends, was vicar of St Dunstan, from 1817 to 1829.