The Church of St Mary and the Holy Rood is Early English to late Perpendicular in design. It is thought to have been originally built by the Knights Templars in 1228. {1}{2} 13th century parish church with 14th and 15th century alterations, and restored in 1868 and 1896. Built of limestone ashlar with lead roofs. South-western tower and spire, and clerestoried nave, aisles and chancel. A number of monuments are contained within the church, including a white marble wall tablet to Captain Matthew Flinders, the sailor who first circumnavigated Australia, and was born in Donington in 1774. The tablet shows a relief carving of a ship under full sail with Flinders at his telescope on decks. For the full description and the legal address of this listed building please refer to the appropriate List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. {3}{4} The 1868 restoration was by James Fowler of Louth. Pevsner states that 'Except for the priest's doorway in the chancel, which has a little nail-head decoration and is Early English, this is a Decorated/Perpendicular church. Decoration is its outstanding feature'. The church also features a stained glass memorial window to Matthew Flinders, designed in 1979 by John Hayward. {5} The Flinders memorial window shows a full length figure of Matthew Flinders holding a telescope in the central window. Portrait medallion images of Joseph Banks and George Bass are to the left and right windows respectively. The lower part of the window shows a map of the south coast of Australia with HMS Investigator, the ship that Flinders captained on his circumnavigation. The window is believed to have been installed in 1980, and was a gift from the Commonwealth of Australia and Australian States, The Lincolnshire & Humberside Arts Association and the parishioners of Donington. {6}