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Galleywood - Hutton

Essex Churches - Galleywood to Hutton

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The Great and Good
  
Galleywood - St Michael and All Angels Built in 1872/3 on high ground, surrounded by Chelmsford racecourse which closed in 1935. The octagonal broach spire reaches 131 feet high and originally had crocketed pinnacles. : Church, Essex, Galleywood, St Michael, All Angels, Victorian, Spire
1 Galleywood - St Michael and All Angels
 Gestingthorpe - St Mary St Mary's is a Grade I Listed building from 14th-century and later. The chancel and nave are early 14th century, with the north vestry and south aisle added c.1330. The south aisle was rebuilt early in the 16th century, when the red brick tower was added. At roughly the same time, the nave was re-roofed with a double hammer beam roof, dated 1489 by inscription. : Church, Essex, Gestingthorpe, St Mary, Grade 1, C14, Hammerbeam
2 Gestingthorpe - St Mary
 Goldhanger - St Peter In 1895, the Rev. Gardner wrote in the Goldhanger Parish magazine… "Where are the men on Sunday mornings? I need not ask. They shuffle in at the fag end of an idle day and think this is fitting to the Lord." He continued.... "Morbus Sabbaticus, or Sunday sickness, is a disease peculiar to non-Churchgoers. The disease comes on suddenly every Sunday; no symptoms are felt on Saturday night, the patient sleeps well, eats a hearty breakfast, but about church-time the attack comes on, and continues till the services are over for the morning, then the patient feels easy and eats a hearty dinner." "In the afternoon he feels much better and is able to take a walk on the wall and talk politics, but about church-time he gets another attack and stays home. He retires early, sleeps well and wakes up on Monday morning refreshed and able to go to work, and does not have further symptoms of the disease until the next Sunday." St Peter's Church dates from the 11th century: the south side was added in the 14th century and the tower added to the west end of the church in the 15th century. : Church, Essex, Goldhanger, Norman, C11, C14, C15
3 Goldhanger - St Peter
Good Easter - St Andrews The nave was built around 1200, and the chancel some 30 years later, although there is evidence that a smaller arch to a structure existed before this, notably before the Norman invasion. Additional features such as doors and aisles were added in the 14th century. A fire in 1885 led to a major restoration by Frederick Chancellor, including a new timber tower and spire, new west wall, and south facing aisle roof. : C14, Chancellor, Church, Easter, Essex, Good, Norman, St Andrew
4 Good Easter - St Andrews
 Gosfield - St Catherine - Graveyard This Grade 1 listed building occupies a raised site overlooking the village and surrounding farmlands : Church, Essex, Gosfield, St Catherine, C15, Grade 1
5 Gosfield - St Catherine - Graveyard
 Gosfield - St Catherine In 1435, when Gosfield was declared a 'great town' having reached a jam-packed population of 240, the Rolf family decided to build a new church on the site of the old one. The church tower was built in 1490 and its original bell (dated 1420) survives, along with additional bells added in 1637, 1704 and 1962. Today Gosfield has a population of c.1,500. : Church, Essex, Gosfield, St Catherine, C15, Grade 1
6 Gosfield - St Catherine
Grays - St Peter and St Paul Although some internal sections of this ancient church date back to Norman times, the exterior was almost entirely rebuilt during the 19th century. The overall effect is heavy, squat and gloomy. : Church, Essex, Grays, Peter, St Paul, Victorian, Norman
7 Grays - St Peter and St Paul
 Grays - St Thomas of Canterbury St Thomas of Canterbury (R.C.) was built in 1886 by FH Pownall. Internally it is one uninterrupted space, and originally there was a school in the basement. : Church, Essex, St Thomas, Grays, Catholic, Victorian
8 Grays - St Thomas of Canterbury
 Great Baddow - St Mary the Virgin The nave is Norman, with north and south aisles and the tower added in the fourteenth century. The tudor clerestory and porch were added during the sixteenth century but the parapets and pinnacles were replaced in 1968. The church is on high land at the heart of the village and is Grade 1 listed. : Church, Essex, Great, Baddow, St Mary, Norman, Tudor, Clerestory, C16, Grade 1, C13
9 Great Baddow - St Mary the Virgin
Great Baddow - St Mary Chancel The chancel is full of light due to large dormer windows in the chancel roof. The interior of the St Mary's was restored in the late nineteenth century. The east window is by H Hughes (Ward and Hughes), 1876. : Church, Essex, Great, Baddow, St Mary, Norman, Tudor, Clerestory, C16, Grade 1
10 Great Baddow - St Mary Chancel
 Great Baddow- Medieval Arcade in the Nave The three bay arcade was built dring the 12th/13th century. One pier is octagonal, one circular. The north aisle is 14th century and the clerestory, 16th century. : Church, Essex, Great, Baddow, St Mary, Norman, Tudor, Clerestory, C16, Interior, Arcade, Grade 1
11 Great Baddow- Medieval Arcade in the Nave
 Great Baddow - St Mary -Detail of Pulpit Detail of the carving on the 1639 pulpit, described by Pevsner as "the best of its date in the county". : Church, Essex, Great, Baddow, St Mary, Norman, Tudor, Clerestory, C16, Pulpit, Grade 1
12 Great Baddow - St Mary -Detail of Pulpit
Great Baddow - St Mary - Carved Lion on Pulpit Detail of the carving on the 1639 pulpit, described by Pevsner as "the best of its date in the county". : Church, Essex, Great, Baddow, St Mary, Norman, Tudor, Clerestory, C16, Pulpit, Grade 1
13 Great Baddow - St Mary - Carved Lion on Pulpit
 Great Baddow - St Mary - Pulpit Pulpit 1639, "the best of its date in the county" according to Pevsner. Richly carved, but rarely used today. : Church, Essex, Great, Baddow, St Mary, Norman, Tudor, Clerestory, C16, Pulpit, Grade 1
14 Great Baddow - St Mary - Pulpit
 Great Bardfield - St Mary The tower is 12th or early 13th century with small lancet windows. The nave, chancel and north and south aisles are 14th century. It is Grade I listed. Excavations showed that the church was built on the site of a previous pre-12th century church, and revealed two massive stones under the east end of the chancel, which were probably pre-Christian. The crowning glory of this church is its stone chancel screen - one of only three in Europe, the other being at the (slightly later) church in Stebbing, Essex, and in Trondheim, Norway : Church, Essex, Great, Bardfield, St Mary, C12, C13, Grade 1, Stone, Chancel, Screen, C14
15 Great Bardfield - St Mary
Great Bardfield -St Mary - Pugin Organ Case The Gothic organ case in the chancelis c.1840, reputed to be designed by Pugin. Above, the tie-beams are elaborately carved with designs of foliage, flowers and geometric patterns, dated 1618. : Church, Essex, Great, Bardfield, St Mary, C12, C13, Grade 1, Stone, Chancel, Screen, Organ
16 Great Bardfield -St Mary - Pugin Organ Case
 Great Bardfield - St Mary - Stone Screen The stone chancel screen was commissioned in 1377 by Edmund Mortimer, the grandson of Edward III, in memory of his child bride Philippa, Richard II's cousin. Their marriage when she was 12, and he was 16, was a Plantagenet alliance that would have a formative influence on English history and what was to become The War of the Roses. : Church, Essex, Great, Bardfield, St Mary, C12, C13, Grade 1, Stone, Chancel, Screen, C14
17 Great Bardfield - St Mary - Stone Screen
 Great Bardfield - St Mary - Carved Tie Beam Tudor carved tie beam, dated 1618 : Church, Essex, Great, Bardfield, St Mary, C12, C13, Grade 1, Stone, Chancel, Screen
18 Great Bardfield - St Mary - Carved Tie Beam
Great Bardfield - St Mary - Carved Tie Beam Tudor carved tie beam, dated 1618 : Church, Essex, Great, Bardfield, St Mary, C12, C13, Grade 1, Stone, Chancel, Screen
19 Great Bardfield - St Mary - Carved Tie Beam
 Great Bentley - St Mary the Virgin The nave and chancel are Norman, with original windows on either side. The chancel was extended eastwards in the early 14th century. The tower was built towards the end of the 14th century although the battlements were added later. The church is Grade I listed. Great Bentley has the largest village green in Essex, at 45 acres. It has been protected by statute since 1812. : Church, Essex, Great, Bentley, St Mary, Norman, C14, Grade 1, Medieval
20 Great Bentley - St Mary the Virgin
 Great Bentley - St Mary Interior St Mary's was restored in 1871-4 and the east window and chancel arch were replaced at that time. The church is Grade I listed. : Church, Essex, Great, Bentley, St Mary, Norman, C14, Grade 1, Medieval
21 Great Bentley - St Mary Interior
Great Braxted - All Saints The only building surviving from the original village of Great Braxted. Set in remote parkland overlooking a lake, this Norman church was once apsed. The apse was removed in the 13th century and replaced with an east wall containing lancet windows. The porch is 15th century. The tower, topped with timber belfry and spire, is 13th century but was partially rebuilt in 1883 with buttresses and a gabled bellcote. All Saints is Grade II* listed. : Church, Essex, Bentley, St Mary, C15, Great, Braxted, All Saints, Norman, C13
22 Great Braxted - All Saints
 Great Braxted - All Saints - Roofscape Roofscape. The brick north transept was added in 1761. : Church, Essex, Great, Braxted, All Saints, Norman, C13
23 Great Braxted - All Saints - Roofscape
 Great Bromley - St George A superb Grade I listed church, sited on a rise at the heart of the village. The nave, chancel and south aisle were built in the early 14th century although the chancel was substantially restored in 1867. The tower, nave, north aisle, and porch are 15th century. The clerestory and magnificent double hammerbeam roof were added in around1500. The tower contains a surprising amount of puddingstone, cheap and evidently plentiful locally. The south porch and clerestory however consist of very fine knapped flint flushwork - although the flint was readily available, the flushwork required specialist skills. Knapped flushwork is also present on the tower and in a frieze around the base of the chancel. The south, north and west doors, also all around 1500, have remnants of intricate carved tracery. This church is far more elaborate than you would expect from an Essex village church, and Pevsner called it "the Cathedral of the Tendring Hundred" : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15
24 Great Bromley - St George
Great Bromley - St George - Porch The porch was built in the 15th century. The attractive panelling is made from knapped flint flushwork. At the front is a parapet, and there are battlements on each side. In the spandrels of the porch are carvings of St George and the dragon: within the porch, spandrel figures of Adam and Eve have been re-set over the church doorway. The niche statue of Madonna and child is by H & K Mabbitt, 1956. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15, Porch
25 Great Bromley - St George - Porch
 360° Panoramic Tour of Great Bromley Church 360° Virtual Tour : 360, panorama, interactive, Great Bromley, church, Essex
26 360° Panoramic Tour of Great Bromley Church
 Great Bromley - St George - Nave The nave, looking west towards the tower arch and font. The main body of the church - nave, chancel, and south aisle - was built early in the 14th century, with the north aisle added in the 15th century. The nave is high and spacious and full of ligh, thanks to the 7-bay clerestory which was built in around 1500 at the same time as the double hammerbeam roof. The south aisle has two pillars. One is decorated with carved leaves and the other, with extraordinary figures of humans, animals and grotesque devilish creatures. The tower arch is remarkable: it frames the west window beautifully and reaches the top of the clerestory. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15, Nave, Arcade
27 Great Bromley - St George - Nave
Great Bromley - St George - Interior - Chancel The nave, looking east towards the chancel. The main body of the church - nave, chancel, and south aisle - was built during the fourteenth century. The south aisle has two pillars. One is decorated with carved leaves and the other, with extraordinary figures of humans, animals and grotesque devilish creatures. The north aisle was added in the 15th century. The whole nave is high and spacious and full of light thanks to the elegant clerestory added c.1500. The double hammerbeam roof was built at the same time. The chancel was restored in 1867, by T W Nunn. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15, Chancel, Arcade, Hammerbeam
28 Great Bromley - St George - Interior - Chancel
 Great Bromley - St George - Carved Beast The south aisle has two pillars. One is decorated with carved leaves and the other, with extraordinary figures of humans, animals and grotesque devilish creatures. This one appears to show a dragon devouring a woman. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15
29 Great Bromley - St George - Carved Beast
 Great Bromley - Hammerbeam Roof The double hammerbeam roof which spans the nave dates from c.1500. It was once brightly painted, and still bears traces of this paintwork at the eastern end. Pevsner calls this "one of the most magnificent roofs of Essex".The stone corbels are carved with angels, and the braces terminate with carved defaced images of saints : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Hammerbeam, Roof, C15
30 Great Bromley - Hammerbeam Roof
Great Bromley - St George - Tower Arch and Font Font and tower arch. The tower arch is remarkably tall, reaching the top of the clerestory and framing the huge west window beautifully. In celebration of generations of campanologists there is a display of bell-ringers hats dated from 1716 to1991 high up inside the void. The tower iself contains 6 bells and an old tenor bell. The 20th century font was donated to the church in 1933. The font cover is elaborately carved, traceried and crocketed. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15, Font, Arch
31 Great Bromley - St George - Tower Arch and Font
 Great Bromley - St George - Hammerbeam Roof A stunning double hammerbeam roof spans the nave. It dates from c.1500 and was once brightly painted. Traces of this paintwork can still be seen at the eastern end. The stone corbels are carved with angels, and the braces terminate with carved defaced images of saints. The elegant, 7-bay clerestory was built at the same time as the roof. Pevsner calls this "one of the most magnificent roofs of Essex". This image is looking west, towards the tower. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15, Hammerbeam, Roof
32 Great Bromley - St George - Hammerbeam Roof
 Great Bromley - St George - Bellringers' Hats In celebration of generations of campanologists there is a display of bell-ringers hats dated from 1716 to1991 high up inside the void at the base of the bell tower. : Church, Essex, Great, Bromley, Grade 1, C14, C15, Hats, Bellringers
33 Great Bromley - St George - Bellringers' Hats
Great Burstead - St Mary Magdalene A wooden church originally stood on the site in the 7th century, after a preaching cross was erected here by St Cedd, and was the original parish before the sprawl of Billericay developed. The oldest part of the current building is the Norman nave, with a surviving window in the north wall. The tower and chancel are later 14th century additions. Unusually, the church has two porches - north (c.1500) and south (early 16th century). : Church, Essex, Great, Burstead, St Mary, Norman, C14, C15, C16
34 Great Burstead - St Mary Magdalene
 Great Canfield - St Mary This church is in a lovely setting, at the heart of a tiny village well off the major roads. The church is Norman, built c.1150, with a fifteenth century bellfry, spire and south porch. The south doorway is Norman and is richly carved with zig-zags, squares and swastikas. The church is Grade I listed. Inside there is a lovely wall painting of the Madonna breast feeding her child, dated c.1250. Sadly the church was locked when we were there. : Church, Essex, Great, Canfield, St Mary, Norman, Grade 1, C15, Doorway
35 Great Canfield - St Mary
 Great Canfield - South Door Arch This beautiful Norman doorway is very well preseved. Pevsner thought the zig-zag patterns might illustrate the sun. On the left hand pillar is a Norman depiction of the Norse God Odin, with swastika designs behind. Odin is shown with his shamanic raven aides Hugin and Munin, reporting back. The two ravens travelled across the world every day collecting information for the god. Swastikas are also known as fylfots. The symbol is common in pre-Christian cultures across Europe, but its significance here relates to Norse or Danish origins. Essex was a separate Danish pagan kingdom until c.896, and the symbols here are likely to represent Thor, the Norse God at Odin's side. As the most mortal-friendly of the Norse deities, Thor's symbol was also seen as a protective element. Beneath the Odinesque face on the right pillar are two entwined serpents with fish-tails with remarkable similarities to the serpents depicted on the well-known font in Avebury Church. : Church, Essex, Great, Canfield, St Mary, Norman, Grade 1, C15, Doorway, Carving
36 Great Canfield - South Door Arch
Great Canfield - St Mary - South Door Beneath the Odinesque face on the right pillar are two entwined serpents with fish-tails with remarkable similarities to the serpents depicted on the well-known font in Avebury Church. : Church, Essex, Great, Canfield, St Mary, Norman, Grade 1, C15, Doorway, Carving
37 Great Canfield - St Mary - South Door
 Great Canfield - South porch - Swastikas On the left hand pillar is a Norman depiction of the Norse God Odin, with swastika designs behind. Odin is shown with his shamanic raven aides Hugin and Munin, reporting back. The two ravens travelled across the world every day collecting information for the god. Swastikas are also known as fylfots. The symbol is common in pre-Christian cultures across Europe, but its significance here relates to Norse or Danish origins. Essex was a separate Danish pagan kingdom until c.896, and the symbols here are likely to represent Thor, the Norse God at Odin's side. As the most mortal-friendly of the Norse deities, Thor's symbol was also seen as a protective element. : Church, Essex, Great, Canfield, St Mary, Norman, Grade 1, C15, Doorway
38 Great Canfield - South porch - Swastikas
 Great Chesterford - All Saints The chancel and nave were built in the 13th century then the nave was extended during the 15th century The tower was rebuilt in 1790 to the east of its original site, then raised and given pinnacles in 1841-2. Plans were developed in the late 19th century to restore the tower to its original site and lengthen the nave, but these never materialised. Grade I Listed : Church, Essex, Great, Chesterford, All Saints, C13, C15, Grade 1
39 Great Chesterford - All Saints
Great Chesterford - All Saints - Interior 13th century chancel. The magnificent east window contains stained glass dated 1910. : Church, Essex, Great, Chesterford, All Saints, C13, C15, Grade 1, Interior
40 Great Chesterford - All Saints - Interior
 Great Chesterford - All Saints - 13th CenturyArcade The nave and aisles are 13th century although the octagonal piers have been recut. The west end of the nave is 15th century Much of the history of the buildng has been obscured by Victorian restorations : Church, Essex, Great, Chesterford, All Saints, C13, C15, Grade 1, Interior, Arcade
41 Great Chesterford - All Saints - 13th CenturyArcade
 Great Clacton - St John the Baptist Norman church in the original farming village of Clacton, before the growth of Clacton-on-Sea. 14th century chancel, and massive unfinished tower, added in the 15th century. : Church, Essex, Great, Clacton, St John, Norman, C14
42 Great Clacton - St John the Baptist
Great Dunmow - St Mary the Virgin The chancel of St Mary's is early 14th century. The porch, arcade, chancel arch, tower and south chapel were all built in the 15th century but restored in the late 19th-early 20th century. St Mary's is a Grade I Listed building. : Church, Essex, Great, Dunmow, St Mary, C14, C15, Grade 1
43 Great Dunmow - St Mary the Virgin
 Great Easton - St John & St Giles A Norman church built on the site of a earlier Saxon church.The Nave was built probably early in the 12th century, and the great thickness of the eastern half of the side-walls suggests the former existence of a central tower, but there is no trace of the east and west arches. The present Chancel was built in the 13th century. In 1928 a low brick tower replaced the an earlier timber tower, which itself was a renovation of a 15th century construction. : Church, Essex, Great, Easton, Norman, C13, C12, St John, St Giles
44 Great Easton - St John & St Giles
 Great Easton - St John & St Giles - Interior In 1830, an unidentified man was found murdered at Handless Spring in Great Easton. On the South wall of the churchyard there is an inscription which says: "Near this spot lies a murdered man Whos remains were found in Handless Spring. Unfold the murderous deed if you can And the Wretch or Wretches to justice bring." : Church, Essex, Great, Easton, St John, St Giles, Norman, C12, C13
45 Great Easton - St John & St Giles - Interior
Great Hallingbury - St Giles Originally a late Saxon/early Norman building, the church was almost entirely rebuilt in 1873-4 by GE Pritchett. The church virtually doubled in size during the restoration, and all that remains externally of the earlier church is a Norman window on the south side, and the fifteenth century tower. The octagonal spire added by Pritchett was a copy of an earlier spire which had been destroyed by lightning in 1738. Internally there is a very unusual late Saxon/early Norman chancel arch built entirely of Roman bricks. Prior to the restoration in 1874 there was a Rood Loft across the chancel arch, containing a Rood Altar. On the right of the chancel arch, high up in the wall, there remains a Piscina. This is a rare feature. But the church is locked and they cannot be seen except at services. : Church, Essex, Great, Hallingbury, St Giles, C15, Victorian, Medieval
46 Great Hallingbury - St Giles
 Great Henny - St Mary The twisted broach spire of St Mary's, Great Henny can be seen from miles around. The 18th century cedar shingle spire still suffers damage from woodpeckers, despite the nearby decoy tower. With the exception of the Norman flint tower, most of the building was re-fashioned in the 14th century. The nave and chancel are not separated by a chancel arch, and the roof line is a continuous straight line. There are signs on the east wall of the tower of an earlier higher nave apex, and this may have been lowered when both the chancel and nave were re-roofed in the 15th century. The diagonal buttresses to the tower were also added in the 15th century. Walkers often rest at Great Henny church as it is on the route of the long-distance footpath St Edmunds Way. : Church, Essex, Great, Henny, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval
47 Great Henny - St Mary
 Great Henny - St Mary Interior View of chancel and east end of the nave. The east window stained glass is dated 1860. There appear to be remnants of a chancel arch on the north wall, and a rood stairs and loft on the south wall. In the south east corner of the chancel, there is an early 14th century double piscina with moulded carvings (see inset) The 15th century nave roof has 3 arch-braced tie beams with queen posts alternating with 2 arch-braced collar beams. The 10 wooden corbels are carved and painted. : Church, Essex, Great, Henny, St Mary, Norman, C14, Stained, Glass, Interior, Medieval
48 Great Henny - St Mary Interior
Great Henny - St Mary: Piscina Fourteenth century double piscina carved into the thick chancel wall. : Church, Essex, Great, Henny, St Mary, Norman, C14, Piscina, Window, Stained, Glass, Medieval
49 Great Henny - St Mary: Piscina
 Great Henny - St Mary - Medieval roof carvings 15th century corbel carvings on the supporting arch braces of the nave roof at St Mary's. The top layer of carvings is on the south wall, the bottom on the north wall. The corbels at positions 1, 3 and 5 are lower down the nave wall. To the east (left) are two demons fiercely guarding the entrance to the chancel. The next two figures are clergy with a pair of liturgical vessels - one with a gold censer, one with an incense boat. The middle pair are musicians on shawms or recorders. Next to the musicians are angels - one holding a lute, the other angel holding a harp. "Choirs of angels" and the role of music and angel-musicians in glorifying God is an important part of early 15th century ecclesiastical iconography. Not many survived Cromwell's men. The two figures in the western corners of the nave hold shields with coats of arms, reminding the parishioners of their worldly obligations to their mortal rulers. : Church, Essex, Great, Henny, St Mary, Norman, C14, Roof, Carving, Angels, Medieval
50 Great Henny - St Mary - Medieval roof carvings
 Great Holland - All Saints Like Thorpe-le-Soken, the church's outstanding feature is its large Tudor red brick tower, with blue brick diapering. The corner buttresses, together with the stair turret, are in this case octagonal. The rest of the church was rebuilt to the designs of Blomfield in 1866 in the Early English style. : Church, Essex, Great, Holland, All Saints, Tudor, Victorian
51 Great Holland - All Saints
Great Horkesley - All Saints All Saints' Church is a fine grade I listed building dating from the 12th Century with chancel and north chapel built in the 15th century. The tower is 15th century and the timber porch was restored in 1918. : Church, Essex, Great, Horkesley, All Saints, Grade 1, C12, C15
52 Great Horkesley - All Saints
 Great Leighs - St Mary The magnificent Norman tower is one of only 6 round towers in Essex, and with a diameter of 17 feet, is the 3rd largest in the country. The octagonal shingled spire was installed as part of restoration work by Chancellor in 1882. Below the round-headed windows is a Norman doorway with zig-zag ornament and a stonemason's mark carved on the underside of supporting blocks within either side of the arch. The mark here is of a diamond, with central dot, inside two upright lines (see inset). Stonemasonry was a respected trade, and the mark may have served to identify the craftsman and as act as a sign of the quality of the work. : Church, Essex, Great, Leighs, St Mary, Norman, Round Tower
53 Great Leighs - St Mary
 Great Leighs - St Mary - Tower Doorway Norman Doorway, built in the 11th or 12th century. See inset of 900 year old mason's mark. : Church, Essex, Great, Leighs, St Mary, Norman, Round Tower, Doorway
54 Great Leighs - St Mary - Tower Doorway
Great Parndon - St Mary The nave and chancel are one continuous structure made from flint rubble in the 15th century, as is the unbuttressed west tower. The south brick transept is 18th century, probably the same period of the brick repairs to some parts of the chancel. Restored internally by J.Clarke in 1855. : Parndon, Essex, Church, Harlow, C15
55 Great Parndon - St Mary
 Great Saling - St James the Great The church lies in the grounds of Saling Hall.The tower is 14th century, but much of the remaining church dates to extensive restorations by R.J.Withers in the mid 19th century. : Church, Essex, Great, Saling, St James, C14, Victorian
56 Great Saling - St James the Great
 Great Sampford - St Michael the Archangel Apart from the thirteenth-century south transept almost the entire structure dates to between 1320 and 1350. The church seems extraordinary grand for such a small village, but it came under the jurisdiction of the wealthy Battle Abbey in Sussex, and was rebuilt by one of the most powerful political organizations in the late Middle Ages: the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the Knights Hospitallers. The church is Grade I listed : Church, Essex, Great, Sampford, St Michael, Knights, Hospitaller, C14, Grade 1
57 Great Sampford - St Michael the Archangel
Great Stambridge - St Mary & All Saints The Saxon origins of the church can be seen in the north wall of the nave and chancel, which was later partly rebuilt and extended in the 14th century. The tower was added in the 15th century, and a brick parapet added to it during the Napoleonic War. : Architecture, Church, Essex, Stambridge, St Mary, C14, C15
58 Great Stambridge - St Mary & All Saints
 Great Tey - St Barnabas St Barnabas was built in the early 1100s and made extensive use of Roman bricks, particularly for the arches of windows set into the tower. The massive 18ft wide tower, built in 1160, is in the centre of the church with nave on one side and chancel on the other. It hold 8 bells. Originally the church had a cruciform floor-plan, but in 1829 the cost of repairs was considered unaffordable and so the nave and aisles were demolished. Ironically this approach ended up costing double the estimate for repairs. : Church, Essex, Great, Tey, St Barnabas, Norman, C12
59 Great Tey - St Barnabas
 Great Tey - St Barnabas - Interior The 14th century chancel is plain and austere. All the focus is on the altar and the huge east window, which takes up almost the whole of the east wall. The church was restored in 1896 and re-opened in 1902 with new furnishings including reredos and stained glass. The two small pews beside the lectern are 15th century, with poppyhead benchends and traceried panels. : Church, Essex, Great, Tey, St Barnabas, Norman, C12
60 Great Tey - St Barnabas - Interior
Great Tey - St Barnabas - Poppyhead 15th Century Poppyhead Bench Ends : Church, Essex, Great, Tey, St Barnabas, Norman, C12
61 Great Tey - St Barnabas - Poppyhead
 Great Totham - St Peter Mainly 14th century with a 15th century roof. Restored in 1878/9 when the tower was rebuilt and the north aisle and south porch added. The church was restored again in 2012 when the roofs were retiled, the spire reshingled and the weather-vane regilded. : Church, Essex, Great, Totham, St Peter, C14, Victorian, C20
62 Great Totham - St Peter
 Great Totham - St Peter - Interior The church was extensively restored in 1878/9. : Church, Essex, Great, Totham, St Peter, C14, Victorian, C20
63 Great Totham - St Peter - Interior
Great Totham - St Peter - Clock The 1882 clock has the inscription "O teach us to number our days" : Church, Essex, Great, Totham, St Peter, C14, Victorian, C20
64 Great Totham - St Peter - Clock
 Great Wakering - St Nicholas The nave and chancel were built around 1100, with a Norman tower added slightly later. On the west of the tower is a 2-storey porch added in the 15th century. This is unusual: such additions are usually an early Saxon motif, and may indicate that the porch was built on earlier foundations. There was a monastery in Wakering in the 7th century but whether this church was built on the monastery site is not known. The upper part or the porch was used as a priest's house. The broach spire is also 15th century. : Church, Essex, Great, Wakering, St Nicholas, Norman, Porch, C15
65 Great Wakering - St Nicholas
 Great Waltham - St Mary & St Lawrence This church is a Grade I listed building, and was built in Norman times. The nave is unusually wide for a Norman Church and has a fine and rare early 16th century roof with alternate tie beams and angel hammer beam trusses. In 1684 the tower was heightened to enclose an octagonal bell-chamber. The church has a peal of 8 bells, the oldest of which was cast in 1336 and the newest in 1796. : Church, Essex, Great, Waltham, St Mary, St Lawrence, Grade 1, Norman, C16, C17
66 Great Waltham - St Mary & St Lawrence
Great Yeldham - St Andrew The south porch is the lower portion of a large tower begun in the 14th century, now accommodating the choir vestry, and topped off with a Tudor stepped brick gable. The 15th century west tower has an hexagonal staircase, angle buttresses, stepped battlements, pinnacles, a three light bell-opening, and houses six bells. The north arcade was rebuilt in Victorian times. Grade I listed. : Church, Essex, Great, Yeldham, C14, Tudor, C15, Grade 1
67 Great Yeldham - St Andrew
 Greensted - St Andrew St Andrew's is unique: the oldest timber building in Britian, possibly in Europe. It is made up of large split logs placed vertically with the rounded face on the outside. The logs are grooved, and tongues of wood have been inserted between them to make the whole thing weatherproof. The split logs have been tree-ring dated to the late 11th century, and the church is Grade I listed. The tower and spire are 18th century and the porch, 19th century. Folklore links this ancient church to the story of a Saxon King, saint and martyr. In 869 Edmund, King of East Anglia, was killed by the Danes because he refused to renounce Christianity. He was beaten, shot with arrows and beheaded. His head was thrown into the woods where it was found by wolves, who protected it and howled out "Hic, Hic, Hic" ("Here, Here, Here") to the searchers so that it could be found. Edmund's body (and head) were taken to Bury. Over time his reputation grew and a stone church was built to contain his relics. In due course, this became a shrine. For a long time, Edmund was the patron saint of England and many kings made a pilgrimage to visit his shrine. In 1010, to protect the relics from Viking raiders, the body was removed from Bury and taken to London temporarily but 3 years later, it was deemed safe to return it to its rightful place. The body is rumoured to have rested for a time in St Andrews on its long journey back to Bury St Edmunds in 1013. There is no evidence to support this story, and the tree ring data would seem to undermine its authenticity so far as the current building goes. However there is archeological evidence of earlier Saxon churches on this site, so I like to think it is true. : Church, Essex, Greensted, St Andrew, Norman, Saxon, King, Edmund, Wooden, Grade 1
68 Greensted - St Andrew
 Greensted Church - Log Construction The nave is built of upright logs, split vertically as in Scandinavian stave construction, and placed side by side, with a groove down the centre and a thin fillet of wood inserted to make a weatherproof seal. : Saxon, Greensted, log, wooden
69 Greensted Church - Log Construction
Greensted - St Andrews (Interior) Inside this ancient church it's very dark and a bit claustrophobic, especially in the wooden nave. The chancel, re-built in brick in 1500 and with a large east window, feels more welcoming. The pulpit is dated 1698.There is a small aperture on the north side, visible from one of the pews. Looking through it you can see just how thick the wooden log walls are. The hole is sometimes referred to as a "Leper's Squint". Lepers were not allowed into churches, but some say they could watch proceedings and receive blessings through such a viewing hole. Alternatively, its position next to the original doorway into the church means it may simply be a spyhole to see who is outside. : Church, Essex, Greensted, St Andrew, Norman, Saxon, Grade 1, Wooden, King Edmund
70 Greensted - St Andrews (Interior)
 Greensted - Leper's Squint There is a small aperture on the north side, visible from one of the pews. Looking through it you can see just how thick the wooden log walls are. The hole is sometimes referred to as a "Leper's Squint". Lepers were not allowed into churches, but some say they could watch proceedings and receive blessings through such a viewing hole. Alternatively, its position next to the original doorway into the church means it may simply be a spyhole to see who is outside. : Church, Essex, Greensted, St Andrew, Norman, Saxon, Grade 1, Wooden, King Edmund
71 Greensted - Leper's Squint
 Hadleigh - St James the Less This Grade I listed church is marrooned on a traffic island on the busy A13, the London to Southend Road. Built by the Normans around 1140, the distinctive apse has flat pilaster buttresses and three round-headed windows. The boarded belfry is 15th century. : Church, Essex, Hadleigh, St James, Norman, Grade 1, Apse
72 Hadleigh - St James the Less
Hadstock - St Botolph St Botolph's is a complex and interesting church. The nave and transepts are late Saxon (11th century), the transept arches are late 13th/early 14th century, the tower 15th century and the chancel, 19th century. The building is Grade I listed and is built on the site of a 7th century Saxon church. The earlier church was unusually elaborate in that it also had transepts, which may indicate that there was a Saxon monastery here. Although the north transept is 11th century (long-and-short work can be seen in the northwest corner), the large window was added in the 14th century. Initially there was a central tower between the transepts but that collapsed (probably during the 13th century) and the current tower was built on the west end of the church. The nave was originally lit by six double-splayed windows of which four remain, complete with their original wooden frames. The north doorway (and door) are Saxon, dated by an irregular pattern of leaves carved along the band around the arch and on the capitals. The chancel was rebuilt in the 14th century, then again in 1790 and the current chancel was built in 1884 by Butterfield, using decorative features linking the chancel to the 15th century tower. St Botolph's church has a good claim to be the minster church founded in 1016 by King Cnut following the Battle of Assandun, when Cnut defeated the English armies led by King Edmund II ("Ironside") and in so doing, united England under one ruler. Cnut ordered "a church built of lime and stone for the souls of those slain in the Battle of Assandune" in 1016, and it was completed in 1020. The size of the current church, the importance and complexity of the earlier 7th century building (possibly indicating this was the site of a Saxon monastery) and the proximity of the site to the village of Ashdon, all point to the possibility that this is Cnut's church : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14
73 Hadstock - St Botolph
 Hadstock - St Botolph - C14 Finial Cross This fine 14th century finial cross, carved from a single piece of Barnack stone, is on the gable of the south transept. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14
74 Hadstock - St Botolph - C14 Finial Cross
 Hadstock - St Botolph - Interior Internally the church is very interesting. The Saxon nave, lit by small double-splayed windows in their original frames, is suprisingly tall. To the east and west are the transepts. Initially there was a central tower but this fell down (probably in the 13th century) following which the arches were rebuilt using the original materials. The south arch is complete to the abaci and contains Saxon leaf pattern carving on the capitals; but apart from the base, the north arch is 14th century. The screen to the south transept is 15th century. The chancel has reen rebuilt several times, most recently in 1884, with a chancel arch similar in style to the transept arches. Aesthetically, the interior of St Botolph's lacks cohesion and grace. The building is huge and must be difficult to fully occupy, however the church authorities have made things worse by placing an altar and communion rail in front of the chancel arch and adding a piano, reading desk, lectern, microphones and speakers. The clutter fills the floor space but in doing so, somehow brings attention to the smallness and punyness of humanity in the house of God. Perhaps that's a good thing. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14, Interior
75 Hadstock - St Botolph - Interior
Hadstock - St Botolph - Saxon Doorway The Saxon north doorway has one order of columns and a square abacus. The capitals, abaci, and the band around the arch are decorated with irregular diagonal lines representing leaves. The wooden door is contemporaneous with the doorway. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14, Doorway, Door
76 Hadstock - St Botolph - Saxon Doorway
 Hadstock - St Botolph - Front of North Door Front of North Door. The north door is Saxon, the oak is dated by dendrochronology (study of tree rings) to around 1034-1042. It is the oldest door in Essex. It consists of plain oak boards joined by undecorated bands of iron on the front. These are riveted through to circular wooden bars on the back. It was formerly covered in cowhide, although the legends say in was covered in the human skin of a Dane. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14, Door
77 Hadstock - St Botolph - Front of North Door
 Hadstock - St Botolph - Rear of North Door Rear of North Door. The north door is Saxon, dated 1020 if contemporaneous with the doorway, but the wood is dated by dendrochronology (study of tree rings) to around 1034-1042. It is the oldest door in Essex. It consists of plain oak boards joined by undecorated bands of iron on the front. These are riveted through to circular wooden bars on the back. It was formerly covered in cowhide. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14, Door
78 Hadstock - St Botolph - Rear of North Door
Hadstock - St Botolph - Lectern c. 1500 The woodern lectern on an octagonal base is c.1500. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14, Lectern
79 Hadstock - St Botolph - Lectern c. 1500
 Hadstock - St Botolph - 15th Century Screen The screen leading to the south transept is 15th century. To the right is the base of the Saxon 11th century transept arch, which was rebuilt using the original stonework in the 13th century, following the collapse of the central tower. The arch has one order of colonettes and Saxon leaf carving on the abacus. : Church, Essex, Hadstock, St Botolph, Saxon, Medieval, C11, C13, C15, C14, Screen
80 Hadstock - St Botolph - 15th Century Screen
 Halstead - Holy Trinity A Gothic Revival church in the C13 Early English style, built in 1843 on the site of a 1423 chapel. It is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust after it was declared a 'redundant' church in 1987. : Church, Essex, Halstead, Holy Trinity, Victorian
81 Halstead - Holy Trinity
Harlow - Harlowbury Chapel The Harlowbury Chapel is the oldest building in Harlow, built in 1180 with brick buttressed flint walls and Norman arched doors and windows. It served to allow the abbots of Bury St Edmunds to offer prayer when travelling to London.Original windows and doors survive today: a crown post was added c.1300, the 16th century floor and 19th century upper storey were later additions. : Harlow, chapel, harlowbury, Norman
82 Harlow - Harlowbury Chapel
 Harlow - St John the Baptist Now converted to Arts and Recreation Centre in Old Harlow. Designed by Thomas Smith in 1840 with battlemented tower and small chancel. : Harlow, Essex, church, Victorian
83 Harlow - St John the Baptist
 Harlow - St Mary-at-Latton Early Norman Grade I listed church, with tower added before 1234, but rebuilt in the late 16th century. A German V1 rocket destroyed medieval stained glass on the south side of the church, which was unrepaired until 1965. : Church, Essex, Harlow, St Mary, Norman, C16, Tudor
84 Harlow - St Mary-at-Latton
Harlow - St Mary & St Hugh The Norman window in the north nave wall indicates that this was the original medieval parish church of Old Harlow. It burnt down in 1708 and was rebuilt adding a west tower, During the restoration by Woodyer in 1872-3, this tower was removed and replaced with a central crossing tower, which may have been its original 12th/13th century design. The chancel is late 14th century. : Old Harlow, SS Mary Hugh, central tower, C12, C13, Victorian
85 Harlow - St Mary & St Hugh
 Harlow - SS Mary & Hugh - Interior Octagonal font with extraordinary Victorian oak and wrough iron font cover. : Old Harlow, Hugh, font
86 Harlow - SS Mary & Hugh - Interior
 Harlow - St Mary Magdalene Late Victorian Gothic church in Potter Street, Harlow, with chancel dated 1888, and tower 1898, built in flint on the site of an 1838 chapel associated with the pottery industry. : Church, Essex, Harlow, St Mary, Magdalene, Victorian
87 Harlow - St Mary Magdalene
Harlow - St Mary Magdalene - Interior The original church, a rectangular building in Gothic style, with an apse, was already in bad repair by 1863. A chancel and vestry extension were added in 1888, and in 1893–5 the nave was rebuilt and in 1898 a tower added at the south-west corner : Church, Essex, Harlow, St Mary, Magdalene, Victorian, Potter
88 Harlow - St Mary Magdalene - Interior
 Hatfield Broad Oak - St Mary the Virgin A Benedictine Priory was built on the site of an old Saxon church in 1135 in a cruciform shape with a central tower. The building was extended further in the 14th century, with parishioners using the western part of the church for worship, while the Priory had exclusive use of the eastern side of the building. However, in 1378, tempers flared in a very non-Christian way, between the monks and the parishioners, leading to rioting. King Richard II's (1377-99) solution was to order a wall to be built across the building to separate the parts serving the different communities, and this wall now stands as the east wall of St Mary's. With the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1536, it was then a simple job demolish the priory buildings while leaving the parish church standing. The west tower, south porch, south chapel, and rood loft stair turret were added earlier in the 15th century. The building is Grade I listed. : Church, Essex, Hatfield, Broad, Oak, St Mary, Grade 1, Medieval, C14
89 Hatfield Broad Oak - St Mary the Virgin
 Hatfield Heath - Holy Trinity This Victorian church was built in 1856-9 by J Clarke. it was subsequently extended in 1882-3 and 1934, yet retains a unified feel. It is sited in the heart of the village, right on the village green. : Church, Essex, Hatfield, Heath, Victorian, Holy Trinity
90 Hatfield Heath - Holy Trinity
Hatfield Heath - URC A 1876 rebuild of an earlier Congregational church, which was built on the site of a meeting place originally leased in 1725 by a non-conformist congregation of more than 300. : Church, Essex, Hatfield, Heath, Victorian, United, Reformed
91 Hatfield Heath - URC
 Hatfield Peverel - St Andrew St Andrew's church is all that remains of a medieval Benedictine priory. The present church is the nave of a Norman cruciform priory church, with a north aisle added in the 13th century and extended in the 15th century (the Tudor brick battlements were a later addition) and a south aisle added in 1873. The east wall of the chancel is the west arch of the former central tower. The west wall of the current church is the original west wall of the priory church and contains a 12th century Norman doorway. The priory was dissolved in 1536 and the presbytery with its chapels, the transept and the central tower were pulled down. The nave was allowed to remain as it doubled as the parish church. : Church, Essex, Hatfield, Peveral, St Andrew, Norman, Medieval, C13
92 Hatfield Peverel - St Andrew
 Hatfield Peverel - St Andrews - Norman Door The Norman doorway is dwarfed by the massive east window, giving a sense of the scale of this medieval priory church. : Church, Essex, Hatfield, Peveral, Norman, Doorway, Window
93 Hatfield Peverel - St Andrews - Norman Door
Havering-atte-Bower - St John the Evangelist St John's was built in 1878 on the site of the former 12th century church St Marys. It was designed by Basil Champneys in the Decorated style with brick, faced with flint, and comprises chancel, nave, north aisle, organ chamber and vestry, and an embattled south-west tower. Much of the early 18th century brick came from the old church. : Church, Essex, Havering, atte, Bower, St John, Victorian
94 Havering-atte-Bower - St John the Evangelist
 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew Built on a hill overlooking the older parts of Helions Bumpstead, St Andrews seems too big both for the plot of land it occupies and for the village it serves. The church is a mish-mash of styles and materials. The nave is Norman, the chancel mid-13th century. A south aisle was added in the 14th century but demolished in the late 18th century leaving the octagonal piers, and then rebuilt in 1834. The tower was built in 1812 and the porch in 1956. Internally, all seems to come together in a harmonic and pleasingly simple whole. Credit for this must go to the restorer in 1932, CC Winmill. St Andrews is Grade II* listed. : Church, Essex, Helions, Bumpstead, St Andrew, Norman, C13, Medieval, Victorian
95 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew
 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew - Interior The south aisle was built in the 14th century with octagonal piers and double chamfered arches. It was demolished in the late 18th century leaving the piers and arches intact, then re-built in 1834. In 1932, box pews were replaced with benches. The pulpit was made out of the panelling from a west gallery which was removed at that time, and most of the woodwork (includng the 1851 J.W.Walker organ) was painted white giving the interior of the church a pleasing lightness and unity. : Church, Essex, Helions, Bumpstead, St Andrew, Norman, C13, Medieval, Victorian, Arcade
96 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew - Interior
Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew - Pulpit As part of the restoration of the church in 1932 the west gallery was removed along with the box pews. The front of the gallery was re-used to make this octagonal pulpit, and to finish the front row of benches, which replaced the old pews. Most of the furnishings were painted white, with the exception of the choir stalls which incorporate late 15th century traceried panels. : Church, Essex, Helions, Bumpstead, St Andrew, Norman, C13, Medieval, Victorian
97 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew - Pulpit
 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew - Tallakarne Monument An unusual monument to Devereux Tallakarne (1627) and his wife, Mary. The figures on either side appear to be that of a man and woman of the period, naked before God. : Church, Essex, Helions, Bumpstead, St Andrew, Norman, C13, Medieval, Victorian, Monument
98 Helions Bumpstead - St Andrew - Tallakarne Monument
 Hempstead - St Andrews Consecrated as a Great Sampford chapel of ease in 1365. The 15th century chancel was extended in Tudor brick. The tower collapsed in1882, and the aisle walls had to be rebuilt in 1887 as part of a major restoration. The tower however had to wait until 1933 to be rebuilt. The church is littered with various monuments to the Harvey family, who were the big cheeses in this part of Essex for centuries, including Sir William Harvey, physician to Charles I and inventor of blood circulation. : Church, Essex, Hempstead, St Andrews, Medieval, C14, C15
99 Hempstead - St Andrews
Hempstead - St Andrews - Chair Chair constructed from old church pews with medieval (?) carvings. : Church, Essex, Hempstead, St Andrews, Medieval, C14, C15, Chair
100 Hempstead - St Andrews - Chair
 Henham - St Mary the Virgin Most of this Grade I listed church was built in stages over the 13th and 14th centuries. The embattled porch was added during the 15th century. The West Tower (11 ft. square) is almost entirely of c.1325, composed of three stages with an embattled parapet and a low lead-covered spire. : Church, Essex, Henham, St Mary, Grade 1, Medieval, C15, C14
101 Henham - St Mary the Virgin
 Heybridge - St Andrew The walls of the tower, nave and chancel of St Andrews are all Norman: built between 1160 and 1181 from flint rubble, boulder clay and puddingstone with dressings of limestone and clunch. The tower base is unusually large - exceeding the width of the nave - and the support given by the massive buttress suggests a tower built higher than usual Norman proportions. Unfortunately only the bottom of the tower remains, and has been capped by a more recent pyramidical roof. The church is Grade I listed. The nave was also originally much taller, with a clerestory. The estuary settlement and its church were alongside the River Blackwater, providing a centre for trade and salt production. Around 1450, severe flooding caused the Blackwater to silt up and re-route its course to join the River Chelmer at Beeleigh. The resulting damage to the church foundations caused its tower to collapse into the nave. At the time, the recorded Visitation of the Dean of St Paul's proclaimed that this was caused by global warming, and so a new church-led mission to build windmills across Essex ensued. : Church, Essex, Heybridge, St Andrew, Norman, Grade 1
102 Heybridge - St Andrew
Heybridge - St Andrew - 900 Year Old Ironwork The south door has a Norman arch with diapered tympanum. The door itself has the original intact ironwork from the early 1100s. Beside the door, is one of the three bells that hung in the rebuilt tower over the centuries. The bell in its wooden frame carries the inscription "Vox Augustini sonet in aure Dei" ('Let Augustine's voice sound in God's ear'). It was cast by John Danyell in the 15th century and was in use until 1928. : Church, Essex, Heybridge, St Andrew, Norman, Grade 1
103 Heybridge - St Andrew - 900 Year Old Ironwork
 Heybridge - St Andrew - Rood Stairs After the collapse of the tower onto the church in the 15th century, the ruined church was restored by reducing the height of the the nave to that of the chancel, which were than both re-roofed. The splayed lower part of the four clerestory windows still remain at the level of the supporting roof timbers. In the picture above, the arch of a lancet window can be seen above the arch of the replacement chancel window. This window contains a few pieces of salvaged 13th century stained glass - that of a female saint. The rood stairs remain although the gilded rood, with statues of St John and St Mary either side of the crucifix no longer remain, having been burnt down by Protestant zealots in 1552, during the time of Edward VI. The Norman church door, with original ironwork, still remains. : Church, Essex, Heybridge, St Andrew, Norman, Grade 1, Rood, Stairs
104 Heybridge - St Andrew - Rood Stairs
 Heybridge - St Andrew - Stained Glass Window Fragments of medieval glass representing a female saint. : Church, Essex, Heybridge, St Andrew, Norman, Grade 1, Stained, Glass, Window
105 Heybridge - St Andrew - Stained Glass Window
High Beach - Holy Innocents The early English gothic style church designed by Arthur Blomfield was completed in 1873, at a cost of £5,500, paid for by a local TC Baring of Baring Brothers Bank. It was described in a guide book of 1876 as “an elegant little church – from many spots amidst the old forest trees, the church peeps out prettily, and its spire is a landmark for miles around”. The 125 foot spire is topped with a weathervane bearing the words 'Laus Deo'. The tower contains thirteen hemispherical bells cast at the Whitechapel Foundry. They were originally played by a weight-driven device with pinned barrels, but are now operated from a keyboard with manual levers. : Church, Essex, High, Beach, Beech, Holy Innocents, Victorian
106 High Beach - Holy Innocents
 High Easter - St Mary the Virgin The chancel and nave were built in the early 12th century. A north aisle was added in the 14th century when the chancel arch was re-built and widened. The tower was added in the 15th century and the brick porch and clerestory were added in the 16th century. The building of the clerestory required the replacement of the previous roof: you can see line of the older, steeper roof on the east face of the tower. The replacement roof is exceptional. The church is in a delightful situation, at the heart of the village but tucked away behind two sixteenth century houses. Grade 1 Listed. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1
107 High Easter - St Mary the Virgin
 High Easter - St Mary - Cat Graveyard visitor - St Mary's. The cat is Grade I listed. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1
108 High Easter - St Mary - Cat
High Easter - St Mary Interior The nave dates from the 12th century with a north aisle added in the 14th century. The clerestory and magnificent Queen Post Roof are Tudor additions. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1, Interior, Arcade
109 High Easter - St Mary Interior
 High Easter - St Mary's Chest The chest is probably 14th or 15th century, with 17th century fittings. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, Chest, St Mary, Medieval, C14
110 High Easter - St Mary's Chest
 High Easter - St Mary's Font The 14th century font has an octagonal bowl, with faces carved alternately with angels holding shields and with symbols of the Evangelists. Above is the Winged Ox, the symbol for Luke the Evangelist. (The others are: John - the Eagle, Mark - the Winged Lion, Matthew - the Winged Man or angel). : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1, Font
111 High Easter - St Mary's Font
High Easter - St Mary - Mortar This is believed to be a mortar used for making lead for the windows. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1
112 High Easter - St Mary - Mortar
 High Easter - St Mary - Queen Post Roof This extraordinary 16th century flat-pitched queen post roof is divided into four bays and contains numerous bosses carved with human faces, animals, foliage and so on. The tie beams are carved with running foliage. Here and there, the carvings are unfinished. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1, Roof
113 High Easter - St Mary - Queen Post Roof
 High Easter - St Mary - Roof Detail Detail of the extraordinary 16th century flat-pitched queen post roof which is divided into four bays and contains numerous bosses carved with human faces, animals, foliage and so on. The tie beams are carved with running foliage. Here and there, the carvings are unfinished. : Church, Essex, High, Easter, St Mary, Norman, C14, Medieval, Tudor, Queen, Post, Grade 1, Roof
114 High Easter - St Mary - Roof Detail
High Laver - All Saints A simple church with a Norman nave and 13th century chancel. The tower and chancel arch are 14th century. It's such a shame this beautiful church is locked. The philosopher John Locke (1632 - 1704), whose theories of Classical Liberalism shaped the American Declaration of Independence, spent the last 13 years of his life nearby and is buried in the churchyard. : Church, Essex, High, Laver, All Saints, John, Locke, Norman, Medieval, C13, C14
115 High Laver - All Saints
 High Laver - All Saints - John Locke's Tomb John Locke's Tomb : Church, Essex, High, Laver, All Saints, John, Locke, Norman, Medieval, C13, C14
116 High Laver - All Saints - John Locke's Tomb
 High Laver - All Saints - Plaque marking John Locke's Tomb The plaque marking John Locke's tomb. : Church, Essex, High, Laver, All Saints, John, Locke, Norman, Medieval, C13, C14
117 High Laver - All Saints - Plaque marking John Locke's Tomb
High Ongar - St Mary St Mary's was built around 1181. The church consists of a 12th century nave and a 13th century chancel built of flint rubble. The bell-tower, though in the 13th century style, was added in 1858 replacing a wooden tower with tall, shingled spire, which stood at the west end of the nave. The present tower contains a ring of six bells, the two oldest are by William Carter, 1610, and John Waylett, 1728. The main south doorway is original 12th century exemplifying characteristic Norman dog-tooth stone carving. The church is Grade I listed. : Church, Essex, High, Ongar, St Mary, Norman, Grade 1
118 High Ongar - St Mary
 High Roding - All Saints The nave and chancel are 13th century but the porch is c.1400. Some of the external doors are original, displaying 13th century ironwork. The church was restored in 1853/4 when the east and west walls were rebuilt and the bellcote added, replacing a spire struck by lightning in 1832. : Church, Essex, Hgh, Roding, Medieval, C13, C14, All Saints
119 High Roding - All Saints
 High Roding - All Saints - Interior High Roding Interior - 'Till He Come The church was restored in the mid 19th century : Church, Essex, Hgh, Roding, Medieval, C13, C14, All Saints
120 High Roding - All Saints - Interior
High Roding - Medieval Ironwork 13th century ironwork with foliated ends. : Church, Essex, Hgh, Roding, Medieval, C13, C14, All Saints, Door
121 High Roding - Medieval Ironwork
 High Roding - C13 Ironwork The iron work on the door is early 13th century : Church, Essex, Hgh, Roding, Medieval, C13, C14, All Saints, Door
122 High Roding - C13 Ironwork
 Hornchurch - St Andrew A priory was first established here after the land was given to the Montjoux priory in eastern France by Henry II in 1168. Their monks built the oldest surviving part of the church - the nave - around 1243. Some sources assert that the tower was built by William Wykeham, Bishop of Westminster, after the lands were taken away from the French priory by Richard II (of original 'poll tax' fame) and purchased by Wykeham in 1391. "The King giveth, and the King taketh away". A build date of c.1490s is more likely. The church is built of septaria and ragstone with some brick. Unusually, the North wall contains many bottles, placed both neck and base outwards. Originally referred to as simply the "church of Havering", the place-name 'Horned church' occurs by the 13th century, and a carving of a bull's head with copper horns was in place on the eastern gable by the early 1800s. : Church, Essex, Hornchurch, C13, Medieval, C15
123 Hornchurch - St Andrew
Hornchurch Church Gargoyle : Hornchurch, gargoyle
124 Hornchurch Church Gargoyle
 Horndon - St Peter & St Paul An avenue of limes leads to this lovely 13th century church. The roofs are largely original but incorporate two 15th century king post trusses. There are two dormer windows north and south instead of a clerestory. The timber bell turret with a shingled spire was erected c.1500. : Church, Essex, Horndon, St Peter, St Paul, C13, C15, Medieval
125 Horndon - St Peter & St Paul
 Horndon - St Peter & St Paul - Interior Internally the church is dominated by the huge timbers supporting the bell turret, with cantilevers projecting out into the nave. The interior was restored c.1900 in Arts and Crafts style. : Church, Essex, Horndon, St Peter, St Paul, C13, C15, Medieval
126 Horndon - St Peter & St Paul - Interior
Horndon - Essex Girl The Horndon Beauty. : Church, Essex, Horndon, St Peter, St Paul, C13, C15, Medieval
127 Horndon - Essex Girl
 Hutton - All Saints The church is beautifully located beside some woods and overlooking farmland. Originally 14th century, it was extensively restored in 1873. The restoration included the complete rebuilding and lengthening of the chancel. The chancel arch, nave roof and north porch are 14th century and the bell turret and spire are probably 15th century. : Church, Essex, Hutton, All Saints, C14, C15
128 Hutton - All Saints