The nave and aisles are C14 and the chancel, though possibly C13 originally, is now C16 like its chapels.  The tower and west end are C19.

The church stands at the south west corner of a large green, surrounded by old houses.  The parish was in the deanery of South Malling (1 p71), but little is known of the history of the church before the C14.  Godfrey interpreted certain foundations as belonging to a C12 cruciform church (2 p116) and when the tower was built in the C19, carved stones of that date were found in the buttressing of the former west wall (3 p225) and are now set in the C19 south west buttress of the nave.  However, the immediately preceding west end was probably C16 (see below) and it has been suggested that the stones used to build it came from Lewes priory after its dissolution in 1537 (www.crsbi.ac.uk retrieved on 15/4/2013).  The earliest survival in situ is the high, round bases of the otherwise C14 north arcade which are probably early C13, whilst the Burrell Collection drawing (1783) shows two east lancets in the chancel, separated by a buttress.  There is no reason to doubt they were also C13, indicating that the church had achieved its present length by then, despite later additions.

The nave and aisles (except probably the C13 bases already mentioned) are early C14 and this work is easier to interpret.  Both arcades have octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches and the chancel arch of the same period is similar.  The square-headed aisle windows differ in detail - the south ones have two conventional lights and the north ones have ogee heads.  The latter are usually thought to be earlier, but that is unlikely here as the aisles would have been built together.  The doorways do not resolve the matter, for the south one is C19 except one jamb and the chamfered north one is too plain to be dated accurately.  The then form of the west end is also not clear, though foundations of a tower with diagonal buttresses, thought to be C14, were found when the present one was built (4 p198).

C15 work is limited to carpentry, particularly the south porch, with a roof with a central crownpost, and, probably, the nave roof with moulded tiebeams and queenposts; the aisle roofs are plastered.  At the very end of the century, north and south chapels were added to the chancel.  This retains the marked deflection to the north which dates back to the C13 church or even earlier.  A bequest in 1499 may provide the date of the south chapel (2 ibid), which has earlier detail.  Probably at this time, there was a new chancel roof with outward sloping crownposts.  The lower walls of the south chapel contain large blocks of ashlar.  Of the two south windows, one is reset C14 work, probably either from the east end of the aisle or the chancel.  Its fine mouldings contrast with the adjacent coarser C16 three-light window, which is also square-headed.  A chamfered doorway and the east window of four cinquefoiled lights have four-centred heads.  The latter looks old, but must largely be a replacement, as the Burrell drawing shows only three lights and its most distinctive feature, the small lights above the outer ones, is not present.  The two broad arches of the arcade have heavy four-centred heads and the arch out of the aisle is similar but without responds.  Some moulded roof-timbers are original.

The north chapel does not reach the east end of the chancel.  Also mainly ashlar, it is later – a bequest in 1535 may refer to it (ibid) - with a segmental east window of panelled tracery.  The C19 square-headed north windows resemble those on the Burrell drawing, though according to Hussey (p273) those had wooden mullions.  The arcade is like the south one but with narrower arches; the arch into the aisle is obscured by plaster.

The west window of the C19 tower is a three-light square-headed C16 one.  An early photograph in the church shows it in the west wall of the nave, flanked by large buttresses, with blank west walls in each aisle and a timber belfry on the gable.  The last is not shown on the Burrell drawing, which shows what seems to be a ruined wall, and is presumably the square bell-turret described by Hussey in c1850 (ibid) as 'nearly new'.  Finds when the C19 tower was built included charred timber and lumps of bell-metal (4 ibid), so the previous tower probably burnt down or was struck by lightning in the C16 and was only replaced by temporary repairs until 1884.  A monument to Elizabeth Jefferay was installed in the north chapel about 1620 and may provide the date of C17 alterations there, including a plastered roof and decorated main roof-beams; the tiled east gable may date from then and so may the brick repairs to the gable of the south chapel. 

Some alterations after 1783 have been noted.  The Sharpe Collection drawing (undated but not later than c1805) shows dormers for a gallery and a curious timber structure at the west end, possibly for bells.  In 1842 the east window was replaced by a copy of that in the north chapel (3 p229).  There was a restoration in 1864, directed by a local builder, J Miller (B 22 p673), and more work in 1872, when he was not chosen despite submitting the lowest tender (BN 23 p75).  After this, the church had largely reached its present appearance, except at the west end.  As might be expected in the absence of any architect, it is a curious mixture.  The south aisle in particular was insensitively refaced, yet the brickwork and tiles in the chancel chapels were left.  In 1884-85 E Christian (BAL/MSS ChE/1/2) extended the nave over the site of the original tower, without lengthening the aisles, and added a new tower.  There may have been other work, for which the total price came to £3002 (KD 1899).  The tower is C15 in style, probably to match the reset west window, though of harder flintwork than the old work.  The east window was replaced, still in C16 style, for a second time as a memorial to Queen Victoria, probably in 1903, the date of its glass (see below) and certainly before 1913, when the new work is first noted (5 p23).  The church in the later C19 enjoyed the support of the Christie family of Glyndebourne and in 1922 John Christie, the founder of the opera, gave the organ and west gallery, which largely hide the tower arch - his extensive interests included building and organ-building companies.  Some simple C18 panelling is re-used in the gallery.

In 1999-2000 an extension on the north side of the church was added in a traditional style.  It was  designed by J D Clarke and Partners (their website).

Fittings and monuments

Aumbry:  (North chapel) C16 segment-headed; oddly, there is no equivalent piscina.
Brackets: (South chapel) Either side of the east window, for images.
Brass: (North chapel) Simple brass plate to John Sadler, vicar 1620-40.  It is mainly of interest as his daughter Ann married John Harvard, founder of the university, at South Malling in 1636.
Font: C19 square bowl.
Glass:
1. (East window) J Powell and Sons, 1903 in memory of W L Christie of Glyndebourne (Order book).
2. (South chancel, first window) J Powell and Sons, 1921 (ibid).
3. (South nave, second window) J Powell and Sons, 1902 (ibid).
4. (West window) Heaton, Butler and Bayne, 1885 (www.stainedglassrecords.org retrieved on 18/3/2013).
5. ((North chapel, east window, centre light) F C Eden, c1915 (BAL/MSS EeF/1/1).
Lectern: In form of eagle by M W Pierce, 1975 (information from Anne Pierce).
Mosaic: (South chapel) A Clark, c2000 (Church website).
Monuments:
1.  (South chapel) Harbert Springett (d1620).  He is shown kneeling at a desk with obelisks on the surround in place of the more usual pillars.
2.  (South chapel) Sir William Springett (d1643 during the siege of Arundel Castle (Lower II p117)).  He was a strong supporter of the Parliamentary cause and the monument is in a more up-to-date style than his father’s, with a full face bust above a curving inscription, all in black and white marble.  The sculptor is not recorded but E Marshall has been suggested (Watney p68).  Springett's posthumous daughter Gulielma married William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania (Mosse p122).
3.  (North chapel) Kneeling figures of Elizabeth Jefferay and her husband, Francis, with a punning inscription.  The damaged monument is undated, but the style is around 1620.
4.  (North chancel) Richard Wynne (d1679) Elaborate cartouche, topped by a fiery urn.
5.  (South aisle) Ensign H D Crunden (d1793).  An allegorical representation of Fortitude.  An attribution to Sir R Westmacott was made originally by Horsfield (I p350) and is thus almost contemporary, but though repeated many times since, it is not listed by Roscoe.  If the attribution is correct, this would be the earliest known monument by the artist.
6. (Churchyard north of tower) Henry Martin (d1798), miller and his wife.  Wooden post and rail monument.
Piscina: (South chapel) Early C16 with a plain segmental head.
Royal Arms: (South chapel) George III, painted.

Sources

1.  E H W Dunkin: History of the Deanery of South Malling, IX - Ringmer, SAC 26 (1875) pp71-77
2.  W H Godfrey: Church of St Mary the Virgin, Ringmer, SNQ 3 (Nov 1930) p116
3.  W H Legge: The Church of Ringmer, Sussex, Rel 4 (1898) pp225-37
4.  W F Martin: Notes on the Rebuilding of Ringmer Church Tower, SAC 39 (1892) 197-200
5.  J Patching: Ringmer Church, Antiquary 49 (1913) pp22-25

Plan

Measured plan by W H Godfrey in 2 p117

My thanks to Nick Wiseman for making all the colour photographs available