My thanks go to the staff of the Essex Record Office who directed me towards publications, documents, maps and pictures I would have otherwise never known existed. To Fred Whiffen for his tireless search for pictures of lost churches. To land owners in the county who kindly allowed me to take photos of their gardens and fields. Also to my wife Andrea and my friend Ian Yearsley who, as authors, both inspired me to start the book and to finish the project.

I am particularly indebted to a number of 18th and 19th century historians and writers whose work I drew from. Holman's parish notes of the early 18th century were used widely. As they were by Morant to construct his two Volumes of 'Morant's Essex'. Published in 1768, they are a useful guide to the historical and genealogical description of each parish. H W King's Essexiae Ecclesiasticae (housed in the Essex Record Office) gives much needed information on the state of Essex churches in the middle of the 19th century. I have drawn on his descriptions on many occasions. 'Wright's Essex', published in 1831, is another useful 19th century source. Buckler's 'Twenty Two Churches of Essex' (1856) is a particularly useful book having chapters on four of `my' churches. Benton's History of the Rochford District, published in the last few years of the 19th century, was used for descriptions of Little Stambridge and Shopland. Last, but certainly not least, the four volumes of the Royal Commission of Historical Monuments in Essex of the 1920s were an invaluable aid for those churches sadly lost during this century. A full bibliography is listed at the back of this book.

I would like to dedicate this book to my wife, Andrea, who, despite having her own books to write, tirelessly helped me in the difficult job of translating my research notes into English. For her encouragement despite me talking endlessly about churches for five years and for her support in so many other ways.

 

In the early 1990s, my friend, Ian Yearsley and I set ourselves the task of visiting all of the original parish churches of Essex. Our hobby turned into an obsession as we clocked up over 400 of these historical monuments - we put the list together from the Essex parish map produced by the Essex Record Office. We spent almost two years completing our mammoth undertaking, which took us into corners of Essex that many local residents never visit. -- Take a drive out this summer and start exploring the beautiful countryside of Essex.

Just as we thought we'd completed our task, we noticed that we'd left a number of parishes unvisited. Dotted around the county were parishes where there was no visible church, where had they once stood? Sometimes the church building had been placed elsewhere in the parish but there were still traces of the original on the old site. The church of St Peter, Wickham Bishops survives almost in its entirety while those of Steeple or Mistley have all but vanished with their foundations barely visible.

Then there were parishes who few people -- other than interested locals -- had even heard of, and which virtually died out with the passing of the parish church. Examples of these are Mose, Brundon and Snoreham.

Finding the sites of these former parish churches was easy in some cases and downright difficult in others. Most are not shown on modern maps and in many instances, not on old maps either. The Chapman and Andre maps of Essex of 1777 were invaluable in the early stages. (It was not until relatively recently that I discovered that some of the first and second editions of the Ordnance Survey map showed the precise sites of some of these lost churches!)

The more I found out, the more alive these churches became to me. The site of Virley is merely a ruin but when I found its description by Baring-Gould, it lived again in my imagination. Walton's church had fallen into the sea; Langenhoe was known as the Earthquake Church and the Saxon church of St Runwald's Colchester had some final humiliating years as the wall of a urinal before its eventual demolition.

I searched for a book on the lost parish churches of Essex but had to content myself with Essex Churches; a wasting asset by Warwick Rodwell in which he lists several demolished churches. I started researching in the Essex Record Office and found more lost churches but I wanted to find out everything. I compiled a comprehensive list so I could visit the site of every parish church that had ever stood in Essex! Four years later, I was still coming across them. (I have only learned about Little Barling in the past few months.) I believe now that my list is complete. If you believe otherwise I'd be most interested to hear from you.

I suppose I began researching the book for purely selfish reasons. I enjoy the history, the architecture and the social impact of churches and I also wanted to find out why churches fell into decline. However, I soon realised that this interest was not unique to me. I don't profess to be an eminent historian or an accomplished archaeologist -- I am a Computer Systems Analyst by profession -- but I am a very enthusiastic local historian and a seasoned photographer. I owe to my friend, Ian and my wife, Andrea - both writers - the joy of the completion of this book which slowly came together over 5 absorbing years.

My publisher and I were determined to make the book as definitive as possible. Churches lost through demolition were obvious candidates. But what about chapels, ruins or those converted into houses or used for secular purposes such as museums? Churches that had been substantially rebuilt such as Foulness, Childerditch and Widford were another category I needed to consider. The list was growing and I needed to define some parameters.

Eventually, after much deliberation, I decided to include only those that had been rebuilt on a different site such as at East Hanningfield, Woodham Walter and Layer Breton. I have added a list of churches and chapels that did not entirely qualify for inclusion such as those invested in the Church Conservation Trust (formerly the Redundant Churches Fund). There are possibly omissions but I have tried my best to limit these to the more obscure.

                        Reasons for demise

Essex has lost churches for many different reasons. It is believed that our first recorded lost church, Thunderley, was as a consequence of the Black Plague in the 14th century. The population moved away from the church (or died) and it became ruinous.

In the majority of cases, when a parish church was located in an isolated position, with a dwindling population, it was often just not possible to generate the huge sums of money necessary to maintain it.

Some churches were lost to man-made and natural disasters. Fires, earthquakes, lightning strikes, erosion by the sea and Second World War bombing have all contributed. Vandalism too has taken its toll. Pitsea church was, until recently, crumbling on its hill overlooking the town. Vandals had hammered away at the floor and smashed all the windows. The tower was in danger of crashing down. Recently the nave and chancel was demolished to ensure no one was hurt by falling masonry. Just a few years ago, this church was still used for regular worship Vandalism, of course is not a 20th century affliction -- there are many records of vandalism to churches from earlier generations.

                        Owners' privacy

If you wish to visit a site, write to the owners first to save a wasted journey. Remember, many sites are on private property and therefore not open to the public. Guy Harlings (see Appendix C) produces a publication that lists the names, addresses and telephone numbers of churchwardens. Churchwardens are often the best people to advise on contacting the site-owner.

                        What the future holds

Since I began my visits in the early 1990s, I have noticed a steady growth in churches becoming redundant or disused. When re-visiting some churches barely a year later, I'm saddened to see that some are no longer open to the public. There are, however, a number of institutions and charities dedicated to saving historic buildings: very often our parish churches. With contributions from the likes of you and me, they can be maintained. Let us hope that the new Millennium will see these wonderful historic treasures with their futures assured. I have taken the liberty of listing the addresses of these worthy institutions at the back of this book. Please consider joining one or more to help save our heritage.

 

Aldham

              (OS Ref: TL 9067 2539)

Situated beside Church House Farm, the original parish church of Aldham lay almost a mile west of the present one. The church was dedicated to St Margaret and St Catherine. (However, White’s Directory of Essex of 1863 gives the honour to St Ann.)

According to Morant the church consisted of "a body and south aisle; but the chancel is only of one pace; the whole tyled. On the west end of the church there is a small erection of timber, rough cast, and tyled containing two bells."

In 1818, ‘Excursions through Essex’ added that "A ruinous old chapel on the north side of the church has been taken down many years; and there is nothing at present remarkable in the church." 1853 saw the old building in such a dilapidated state that the church authorities decided to demolish it and build a new one. A factor that added to this decision was the inconvenient location of the existing church. Thomas Burch Western donated "a certain piece of land containing one hundred and eighteen poles," situated in the centre of the village, for this purpose.

Certain conditions were attached to the rebuilding. The primary one being that permission would not be given for demolition until sufficient funds were raised for the replacement building. The new church was to be as similar to the former as possible. The Essex Record Office houses plans of both the new and old churches, drawn up in December 1853. Indeed, when the two are compared, they are virtually identical, with the exception of the large Victorian tower.

As much as possible of the original materials and features of the old church were to be incorporated into the new. Documents relating to rebuilding instructed: "Take down the whole of the present church, clean, cart and stack the material for use on the new site. Such materials only as good sound and fit for the purpose are to be rended- all else to be the property of the rector or churchwardens and to be left on the ground...It is to be understood that the new church is to be built in exact accordance with the old church with such alterations and additions only as are specifically set forth in the drawings and referred to in the specification, it is therefore required that before the old church be pulled down the drawings are to be carefully compared there with and all the dimensions tested." E. Hakewill was commissioned to build the new church. Its consecration ceremony took place on 13 July 1855.

Thanks to these instructions, visitors to the present Victorian church can now view the following incorporated features. Three 13th century windows were placed in the west wall of the south aisle. A 13th century south doorway was also placed in this aisle along with a 14th century doorway in the north east corner. There is a 14th century window in the north vestry. The turret houses two small 14th century windows. In the chancel, there are three 15th century windows. The roofs of the chancel, nave and south aisle are 15th century. The beautifully carved 14th century porch was moved in its entirety to the new church and continues to grace the entrance today.

The two ancient bells were removed from the old church and now inhabit the new. The first bears the Latin inscription: "Sum Rosa Pulsata Mundi Katerina Vocata" and is dated about 1400. The second is inscribed: "Sancta Margareta Ora Pro Nobis" and is from the early 16th century.

Aldham church had the renowned Essex historian, Phillip Morant, as rector from 1745 until his death in 1770, when he was buried in the old churchyard. His monument lay on the site for a hundred years after the demolition of the old structure. In 1966, The Essex Archaeological Society removed it to the interior of the new church where it can be seen today. The monument reads: "Beneath this stone are deposited the remains of the Reverend Philip Morant, A. M., 25 years rector of this parish, died November 25th 1770. Aged 70. Also, of Anne his wife, died July 28th 1767 aged 69."

There are no remains of the original structure on the old site. The approximate location can be determined by studying the sketch produced below. A helpful way of determining the church layout is by bearing in mind that the belfry was at the west end and the porch was situated on the south side. The Royal Commission described it as having been a building 72ft long by 21ft wide.

Location: The old church was sited next to Church House Farm, in Rectory Road, barely a mile or so north west of the A12. The land is now the property of Church House Farm. Please obtain permission from the owner before entering their land.

                        Alresford

              (OS Ref: TM 0647 2066)

It is thought that the church of St Peter, Alresford was originally built in the 10th or 11th century. It possibly contained an apsidal end at this time. The 14th century saw it completely rebuilt by Audrey (or Anfrey) de Staunton. In the chancel, a large stone was inscribed to this effect. The consequences of this rebuilding were a wider nave, resizing of the chancel and replacing of parts of the doors and windows.

The church consisted of nave, chancel, south aisle, south vestry and a north porch. At the west end, a low timber belfry with a shingled spire housed a single bell. Originally, two bells were present at the time of Morant and Wright.

The walls, built of rubble, were covered with cement and dressed with limestone. The chancel was 22ft by 16ft and described by the Royal Commission as having "no ancient features except a triangular headed opening in the east gable and part of the jambs of the window in the south wall which are of c.1300". The board outside tells us that "A small chancel arch was dominated by a large centrally placed pulpit... most of the windows were wooden frames replacing the early stone work." The nave was 39ft by 21ft and had a 14th century north doorway. Roman tiles can be seen in the north west corners. The roof of the nave had one old tie beam. The west gallery featured twisted balusters.

The early 19th century found the church in a sorry state. The middle of the century saw much alteration to the structure. The chancel floor was raised, the chancel arch widened and most of the windows replaced. A new stone porch was added as was a south aisle (housing two 14th century windows) and a vestry. The roof was completely retiled and the bell turret replaced.

However, disaster struck at midnight on 1 October 1971 when a huge fire engulfed the church. The cause of the fire remains unclear - some are adamant that it was an arsonist. The roof was completely destroyed, as were all the windows. Nothing remained except the walls and porch. Funds were not available to rebuild the church. St Andrew's, a newly built church was opened in March 1976 and parishioners now worship within this new structure.

By 1977, the remains of what had been St Peter's Church were all but demolished. The ruins were prey to vandals and adventurers. Since the church council was responsible for the site, they resolved to raze it to the ground, fearing claims for injury. The Rector was recorded as saying, "Of course if someone would work a miracle and provide means or money to make the building safe, I should be delighted to urge the PCC to reconsider its position." Essex County Council gallantly provided funds with which to make the ruin safe, spending £1,500 to make the tops of the walls sound. Today, the ruins still stand for the interested observer to visit.

Location: The church is just south of the village of Alresford. Take Church Road south towards the Ford - this road becomes Ford Lane. The ruins of the church are about halfway down this lane on the right-hand side of the road.

                    Belchamp St Ethelbert

                (OS Ref: TL 8052 4326)

Very little is known about Belchamp St Ethelbert, beyond its approximate site, which now lies under ploughed land. Morant states that "Beauchamp St Ethelbert is part of the parish of Ovington but was anciently distinct." Warwick Rodwell however puts it firmly (and in my view correctly) in the parish of Belchamp Otten (whose church is called St Ethelbert and All Saints).

The two parishes in question have been united since 1473 and the chapel, which was dedicated to St Ethelbert, sometimes called St Albright, was possibly demolished or left to ruins at this time. Whether any of the materials from this church were incorporated into the churches of Ovington or Belchamp Otten is uncertain but very likely. This practice was often the case on the demise of unused or unwanted churches.

According to Thomas Wright (1836), by 1650 the parliamentary survey reported that the chapel had been "long since down." Unfortunately, nothing is known of its appearance or age. However, Roman bricks and quern fragments have been found on the site in recent years. Little of the original stone has been recovered. Today the observer can discern nothing of the ancient structure from the site. In fact, it is difficult to tell with any certainty in which field the actual site was.

Location: Nothing remains of the church at the above OS Reference which is in the middle of a field on private property. It's not really worth the visit unless you are a real enthusiast.

                                          Berners Roding

                    (OS Ref: TL 6021 1005)

This church, 7 miles from Ongar, has no known dedication - if most sources are to be believed. However, I have recently found that the publication by the Essex Record Office "A Genealogist's Guide to the ERO" states the dedication as All Saints. The name of the parish derives from its medieval benefactors, the Berners family, who hailed from the town of Berniers in Normandy.

The majority of the building dates from the 14th century. It was subject to many additions and alterations over the next five centuries. Morant describes the church as "a small edifice, tyled, near the Hall; and the chancel is ruinous, unless it hath been lately repaired. A mean wooden turret contains 1 bell."

On the whole, Morant’s description of the church is still applicable today. The walls are of flint-rubble and red brick, dressed with limestone, clunch and then more brick. The chancel is 20.5ft by 17ft with a 16th century east wall and a 16th century east window. There is a 14th century, blocked doorway in the south wall. Unusually, there is no chancel arch; 16th century brick piers support the beam across the chancel. Remains of a 14th century piscina can be seen here.

The nave was 37.5ft x 19 ft, although this appears to have been shortened during this century. Comparisons between a turn-of-the-century photograph of the old church and the present day structure show that not only has the church lost its small wooden belfry but the western end of the nave appears to have lost a few feet in length.

Berners (pronounced "Barnish") Roding church has a 15th century blocked north doorway. The 16th century brick porch was partly rebuilt in about 1800. There are two windows in the south wall: one from the 16th century and a more modern one. There are two 14th century windows. The east window dates to the 16th century. Buttresses were added in the 18th and 19th centuries in an attempt to shore up the walls. The roofs of the chancel and nave are 16th century.

The lone bell, fashioned by John Dyer in 1594, has vanished. Presumably, it was removed when the bell turret was taken down and the west end was shored up. Hopefully it has found another home at a nearby church. Other lost artefacts include a plate cup dated 1627 and the monuments to Thomas Carowe of 1591 and Joan, his wife, of 1593. The church registers date from 1590.

By 1763, services were being held just once a month, due to the dwindling local population. Over the next two centuries the fabric of the church crumbled and decayed. At the time of the Royal Commission survey (c.1920) the condition of the church was described as "poor, bad cracks in the walls and buttresses [are] falling away."

Finally, on 13 December 1957, the parish of Berners Roding was united with that of Shellow Bowells and the Willingales. The poor condition persists today; the church is in an advanced state of decay at present. No doubt it would take many thousands of pounds to repair.

During the summer of 1995, Berners Roding had a lone occupant in the form of a barn owl. Only determined visitors such as me will be prepared to negotiate past the heap of droppings and brave the attentions of an angry bird.

Location: From Chelmsford take the A1060 north west. Just before reaching Margaret Roding, take a left-hand turn towards The Wilingales. About a mile south, take another left-hand turn towards Berners Hall. The church is next to the Hall. The key is available from the farm next door.

                        Brundon

              (OS Ref: TL 8540 4165)

Brundon church has been lost to us for many centuries. No one knows exactly when it was demolished although it is thought to have happened in the 17th century. Its layout and dimensions are a mystery. Our only clue to its appearance lies in the fact that it was thought to be small.

Brundon church was combined with the parish of Ballingdon many years ago. In 1863, Ballingdon-cum-Brundon was described as having 813 acres and 861 inhabitants. This was in turn annexed, in the 1830s, to the Borough of Sudbury. It was sited opposite Borley church and the ruins were still visible in the time of Morant [1765]. "The remains of it are in a little enclosure, about a mile on the left hand of Ballingdon Street, directly opposite to Borley church." It is also described as being "close to Brundon Wood."

Thomas Wright, writing in the 1830s, says that it had been "entirely demolished a long time ago". In 1863, White’s directory of Essex states that "Its ancient church, which stood at Brundon…went to decay many years ago and no traces of it are now extant."

Today, nothing remains of the church ruin on the site, save a few pieces of red tile scattered across its former site, now a ploughed field. However, it is believed that a folly in the garden of a house in Newton Street, Sudbury contains stonework from this ancient church.

Location: The church was situated at the above grid reference. Refer to the point marked on the accompanying map. In my opinion, the church lay to the north of the hedge, on the bend of the footpath.

                                          Chignal St Mary

                (OS Ref: TL 6655 1070)

At the top of a hill, a mile north of the church of Chignal St James, stood the church of Chignal St Mary sometimes referred to as Chignal or Chicknall Tany.

The parishes of Chignal St James and St Mary were probably merged around 1360. This indicates that St Mary's was already deteriorating and was allowed to deteriorate further. It has been speculated that this building may have been the original Saxon one of wood and stone, reconstructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. The size and proportions of the church are not known.

The reason for demolishing Chignal St Mary is unclear. Perhaps it was due to dwindling receipts from too few parishioners, or the proximity of two other churches: Chignal St James and Chignal Smealey. According to Pusey in 'A Discovery of Old Essex', the three parishes of Smealey, St James and St Mary were merged into one in 1888.

A useful amount of information on the site of the church exists. Morant’s 18th century account runs as follows: "For there is a field of the Glebe, called St Mary's croft, in which a parcel of land, about the bigness of a church-yard, is inclosed with a bank and deep ditches on all sides, except the west and some ruins of a building have been ploughed up, bricks and stones still remaining scattered about or lately did so."

Wright mentions the ‘croft’ on which the church was situated. "Belonging to the glebe there is a small field, called St Mary's croft, which was formerly the church-yard belonging to the church of St Mary."

The church was described as being almost opposite the school and schoolhouse, two thirds of a mile north of the church of St James. Cottages occupied the site for many years until they were demolished. In 1931, a house, named 'St Mary's Croft', was erected on the site. One side of the moat still exists. In recent years, a couple of fragments of stones have been unearthed in the gardens of the current occupants.

Location: The church was situated on land that now contains the house and gardens of St Mary’s cottage, on the road connecting Chignal St James with Chignal Smealy (just near Chignal Hall). The land is private and, although the present owners are interested in the site and history of the church, they are unlikely to welcome too many unannounced enthusiasts trampling over their lovely gardens.

                        Colchester St Mary Magdalen

                (OS Ref: TM 0059 2480)

The church of St Mary Magdalen stood at the junction of Magdalen Street and Brook Street. Recently demolished, the site has now become a sheltered housing complex. St Mary Magdalen's parish was the smallest in Colchester, consisting of barely fifty acres of land. The first building on or near the site, was a hospital. This included a chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalen founded by command of Henry I "for the reception of leprous and infirm people: besides other endowments". It was given the tithes of St John's Abbey, which were distributed to the poor, in the form of bread, beer and meat.

In Edward VI’s reign, St Mary’s chapel was demolished. However, in 1610 the institution was refounded by James I under the title of "The College or Hospital of King James" The inhabitants consisted of a master and five paupers. The master "should have the cure of the souls of the parishioners of St Mary Magdalen, and pay each of the said five poor persons fifty-two shillings a year."

Morant describes this second building as "a very small building of one pace tyled. The little chancel is modern, and built of brick. In the wooden turret, at the west end there is one bell. The west end and turret, were damaged by Lightening in the year 1739, but have been since repaired."

An engraving published in 1783 shows this building. (See Fig n).

This was demolished in 1854 when it was replaced, a little to the south, by a Victorian church. Rodwell believed that the previous church was probably at the position of the "northernmost end of the present graveyard." There was no evidence of the previous church in the 1970s and there is certainly none since the later church was demolished. (The Almshouses in Brick Street represent the later foundation).

The replacement church included a small polygonal south west turret, similar to that of Little Dunmow. Rodwell described it as "a drab building with little historic interest; it is found with knapped flints on a brick and rubble core (probably containing much medieval stonework from the hospital). The facing flints are falling away at the east end and the soft limestone dressings around the windows and doorways are badly decayed. The cost of maintaining this building is great."

Indeed this was true. On 23 January 1995, the latest church of that name was demolished after laying dormant for a number of years. Sadly, the local Family History Society was not informed so was unable to make full monumental transcriptions before the gravestones were destroyed.

Location: The church was sited on the corner of Magdalen Street and Brook Street. Remains of the buildings are no longer visible since sheltered accommodation has now been erected on the site.

 

                                      Colchester St Nicholas

                (OS Ref: TL 9978 2519)

The parish church of St Nicholas stood on the south side of Colchester High Street where now stands a large Co-op building. Possibly, a Saxon church occupied the site formally. This was replaced in the 12th century and then entirely rebuilt in the 14th century.

At this stage of development, the church consisted of a chancel and north vestry, north and south transepts, and a nave with north and south aisles. A south chapel also existed, as did a north tower. The walls were a mixture of rubble and dressed with limestone.

In 1514, possibly due to falling attendances, a proposal was made to unite St Nicholas with the nearby parish church of St Mary’s. However, this did not come about. In August 1700, during much needed restoration, the tower tumbled into the nave, bringing the building to near total ruin. Fortunately, the workmen were at lunch at the time, so no one was injured. In 1721, the west end was repaired at a cost of £68 so that services could recommence.

In 1729, a timbered belfry was erected. According to Morant in the 1760s, the nave was tiled and the south aisle was leaded. The tower was standing "about the middle of the body of the church, being partly built on the North wall. In it are Five bells and a clock with a dial projecting out into the street which occasions this to be vulgarly called the Dial-church. On the top of the Tower the is a small bell in a lantern, for the clock." This church can be seen in the accompanying picture.

In 1870 the parish of St Nicholas was finally combined with another church, that of St Runwald. The latter was already earmarked for demolition at a later date. (See page n). A bell made by Miles Graye in 1621 was taken from this condemned church to join the other five in St Nicholas. It also gained an early 18th century altarpiece painting of Christ. This painting has been recently sold at auction.

In the period 1875-6 St Nicholas was completely restored by Sir Gilbert Scott at a cost of £15,000. The chancel was largely rebuilt. The south aisle and transept chapel were destroyed and a new church of a much larger size was added to the south of the old building. The north tower was refaced and partly rebuilt and a spire was added. In 1905, the projecting clock was taken down.

The chancel was 25ft by 15.5ft and had a late 14th century piscina. There was a 14th century doorway. The crossing of the old church (14ft by 15.5 ft) had early 14th century arches on each side. The nave was 27ft by 18ft and had an early 14th century north arcade. The north aisle was 11.5ft wide.

In Worley's 1915 book on Essex churches, he describes St Nicholas as a "very fine building in the Decorated style...The spire is nearly 150 ft in height. Though the fabric itself is new, care has been taken to preserve some interesting features from the old church." A new reredos, made by Temple Moore in about 1925, was installed.

After the Second World War, notices were served on St Nicholas for demolition. Despite numerous protests, it was eventually sold for £80,000. Demolition began in October 1954 and the new Co-op building was completed in 1957.

Location: St Nicholas was sited on the corner of St Nicholas Street and Colchester High Street where the Co-operative store now stands. There are a few gravestones behind the store, but there are no visible remains of the structure.

                                      Colchester St Runwald

                (OS Ref: TL 9963 2521)

St Runwald’s stood in the middle of Colchester High Street, beside the Moot Hall (replaced by the current Town Hall in 1899). It has the distinction of being the only church in Essex, possibly England, dedicated to this saint. Rodwell, in his publication ‘Historic Churches - A Wasting Asset’, suggests "The proportions of the building, the thickness of its walls and the dedication, would all accord well with a foundation of the later Anglo-Saxon period." The church also contained many interesting Norman features although the earliest documentary evidence dates back to only 1296.

Consisting of a nave, chancel, north aisle and vestry, the walls of this building were nearly 3ft thick. The chancel was 17ft by 15 ft. Its only means of light was the east window, which Buckler in 1856 simply described as "modern." The chancel had two fine Perpendicular Gothic arches that led into the north aisle. There has been some speculation that a chapel adjoined the chancel at one time, however no evidence of this existed in the 19th century. The nave was 30ft by 17 ft and had one small dormer window in the north wall and a modern window in the west wall. There was also a west gallery in the nave. The pulpit was situated against the south wall. An ancient Norman doorway and oak door were on the south side.

The 15th century aisle was 27 ft 6 ins by 8 ft 6 ins and dedicated to St Mary. Buckler described it as "a remarkably fine specimen of Perpendicular architecture." The aisle contained three triple-light windows in the north wall "with good tracery of uniform design, and carefully finished." The vestry was built in the Victorian period. The floor of the church was paved with stone and brick. A single bell resided in St Runwald’s belfry, made in 1621 by Miles Graye.

St Runwald's appears to have sustained much damage during the 1648 Siege of Colchester, particularly to the chancel arch. Little was done to repair this damage at the time. The original spire was taken down in 1692 and replaced by a small wooden turret. In 1760, the church, having stood unused for 100 years, was finally repaired. A new pulpit, pews and other church furniture were installed. At the time of this restoration, circular headed windows were adopted in accordance with the taste of that particular century.

In 1844, it was proposed that the parishes of St Runwald and St Nicholas should be combined and the latter church rebuilt. The plans for the new St Nicholas were submitted in 1851 but not approved. However, in 1873 the parishes were finally united. This spelt the end for St Runwald's: its final indignation being a short spell as the wall of the public urinal!

The demolition of St Runwald's began on 6 April 1878. Photographs of its destruction are housed in the Holly Trees Museum, Colchester. The arches and columns dividing the chancel and north chapel were re-erected in St Albright's church, Stanway during restoration there in 1879. St Runwald's 15th century octagonal font, described by Pevsner as "quite unusually interesting" was given to Little Totham parish church where it still resides.

The mural monument and the communion plate are both mentioned in earlier publications and were moved to St Nicholas on the demolition of St Runwald's. Their fate after the church was demolished in the 1950s is uncertain. The parish chest went to the Colchester Museum. The small graveyard associated with this church maintains its original position in West Stockwell Street.

It could be argued that St Runwald's church wasn't grand or particularly attractive. However, it is a great shame that a church with many unique features and of Saxon origin should have been so badly treated. On its former site in Colchester High Street, there is no monument to its passing. It has been replaced by a bus stop. As Rodwell pointed out "the site of St Runwald’s is forgotten but is still there, under the road, and in all probability its foundations survive in part." Let us hope that one day archaeological investigations unearth more of its origins.

Location: St Runwald’s was near the corner of Colchester High Street and West Stockwell Street. This is now the home of a bus lay-by. The few remaining graves attached to the church can be viewed at the corner of West Stockwell Street and St Runwald’s Street.

 

                                          East Donyland

              (OS Ref: TM 0243 2120)

The old church of St Laurence, East Donyland was demolished in 1838. At the same time, a new one was built in a place more properly known as Rowhedge. The original building stood to the left of the Colchester to Fingringhoe road, near the Hall and about three quarters of a mile from its replacement.

It was a simple two-celled structure comprising a nave and chancel, with a west end bell turret. The sole survivors of the old church are two floor memorial slabs. In the churchyard, some impressive monuments still survive; two of particular note survive from the 18th century. The exact outline of the church, however, is hard to discern.

As a consequence of an archaeological dig in 1926, Reverend G. Montague Benton gauged the dimensions of the church as approximately 38ft x 20 ft. His excavations were hindered by numerous later burials on the site. He points out that these dimensions match those of the neighbouring Norman church of Fingringhoe. He maintained that the similarity in age, dimensions and style were significant.

In 1927, Benton described the church’s appearance, drawing from information contained in a sketch by Captain Sanders dating from 1801. He states "The nave had on the south side a large window, apparently of two lights, and a small window, also of two lights with a dormer window immediately above; the two latter were probably inserted to light a ringing chamber or west gallery. Both nave and chancel had south doors... The west porch and bell turret were obviously eighteenth century additions."

A tower must have been present on the original building since it was described as "redy to fall down" in 1610. It appears to have collapsed in the 17th century and been replaced by the bell turret, housing a single bell. Sanders sketch showed this feature.

In the visitation of 1633, a list of necessary reparations was recorded. The steeple needed boarding "on the top", the belfry door "is very rotten", the church "wants glazinge", the "chancell wants tylinge," the "chancell floor wants pavinge and reayringe" and the "chancell wants whitinge"

In 1684, a visitation again listed that the church needed 'whiting' and that the pavement needed repairing. Was this still outstanding from fifty one years before? Well, yet again in 1707 it was ordered that "The Chancell be new and whited, the floor, the tileing repaired and the eves lathed and plastered". It is obvious from these reports that the parishioners could not afford the repairs necessary for the upkeep of the church.

St Lawrence was finally demolished in 1838. Perhaps this was due to its inconvenient situation; it lay more than a mile from Rowhedge where most of the population now lived. It had also become too small to house the growing congregation. No doubt, financial considerations also favoured replacement rather than repair.

Reverend V McGie Torriano set up a subscription to build the replacement. On 3 October 1837, the foundation stone was laid. The new church was completed the following year at a total cost of around £2,000. The new structure made a radical departure from the original church design. Octagonal in shape and made of white brick, the design was based on the Chapter House of York Minster.

The original 15th century octagonal font was preserved and purchased for St Leonard's Church, Colchester. The bell was stolen from the old church in 1834. It’s believed to have firstly been sunk in Mill Creek and then spirited off to the West of England to be sold.

Some fine brasses and a monument were re-housed in the new church. One brass depicts Nicholas Marshall in prayer dated 1621 and another to his mother, Mary Graye of 1627. A superb alabaster monument is dedicated to Elizabeth Marshall dated 1613.

Location: From Colchester drive towards Rowhedge. Pass through the village. Prior to the turning to East Donyland Hall, on the left is the old cemetery of East Donyland Church. The church was situated in the churchyard at the front of the cemetery, near to the front of the road. The west end with the belfry was situated quite near the existing gate, beside the main road. There are some interesting 18th century graves still to be seen.

                        East Hanningfield

                    (OS Ref: TQ 7665 9990)

The original All Saints church was sited behind the Hall about a mile south west of the present village centre. It stood on this site for upwards of 600 years until disaster struck in the late 19th century.

The chancel was 23 ft by 17ft 6 ins, built in the early 16th century of red brick. It had two brick windows in the south wall. The nave was 41ft by 22ft 6 ins and built in the 13th century or earlier of pudding stone and pebble-rubble. The north aisle was built in the 16th century and was 13ft 3 ins wide. A 15th century piscina was sited in the chancel.

Morant described the church as consisting "of a body and a chancel both tyled. The steeple, containing 4 bells, is only a boarded frame standing on the west end, with a shingled shaft. At the north side of the church and part of the chancel, is a chapel or chantry built [in] brick." He also describes in some detail the painted glass in the south and west windows.

On 30 December 1883, at about one o’clock in the afternoon, some time after the Sunday morning service, a fire broke out. The doors were locked. With nobody able to gain entrance, the fire spread rapidly. An elderly local was immediately sent to Chelmsford to raise the alarm with the fire brigade.

Parts of the roof fell in and the wooden furniture quickly ignited. Soon after the fire began, a bystander broke a window and a young lad was persuaded to climb into the burning building. Not only did he re-emerge; he managed to save the plate and some clerical garments. The firemen took just under an hour to arrive. By this time, there was little they could do. They simply stood by and watched the sad spectacle. One braved the flames to save the 16th century stained glass from the east window. The building continued to burn for the rest of the day and throughout the night.

The communion table was allegedly recovered from the flames - quite how is not known. Thankfully, a double disaster was averted as the parish registers dating from 1540 were at the rectory at the time.

The fire was thought to have begun in either the roof or the steeple. Some young boys were accused of striking matches near the church - an accusation they strenuously denied. Others believed that the fire started from the burner in the nave. No definite cause was ever fixed upon.

On first sight, the fire appears to have been an unmitigated disaster. However, a wonderful find emerged as a consequence of the blaze. It revealed some magnificent 13th century wall paintings. These had been hidden behind the plaster for hundreds of years. They depicted Adam with his spade, Eve with her spindle and St Katherine of Alexandria with her wheel. Sacrifices of Cain and Abel and the death of Abel were also shown.

The Rector had a glass case made to protect these historic wall paintings. Vandals subsequently destroyed the case so for many years the painting was exposed to the open sky in the ivied ruins of the nave. In 1933 the expert, Professor Tristram removed a portion of these paintings from the wall for preservation. He made detailed drawings of those paintings that could not be satisfactorily removed. These rare examples of medieval church paintings are now preserved in the Victoria and Albert museum.

The church had been insured for £1,000. The money was used, not to restore the old but to build a new church nearer to the new centre of the community, at East Hanningfield Tye. This new church was built in a remarkably short time. Work began on 16 July 1884 and it was consecrated less than a year later on 16 June 1885.

The shell of the old church was left to stand as a ruin, with the exception of the chancel. This was repaired for use as a mortuary chapel some years later. The ruins of All Saints were left open to the elements for many years until they underwent a partial demolition in the 1930s. The rest was demolished at a later date. The site is now farmland and inaccessible to the casual passer-by.

HW King learnt of the destruction of All Saints whilst transcribing Holman's parish notes. This caused him to record with dismay "Alas! before I have seen it." He’d had a visit planned. He gives a description of the memorials and inscriptions as recorded by Holman in the early 18th century. I sympathise with King. I too would have loved to have seen this church. Even the ruin, in all its glory, would have sufficed. Just a few graves remain in what is now a copse. With the help of old photos, it’s just possible to discern where the original church was sited.

Location: Take the A130 from Chelmsford. About 2 miles south of the Howe Green roundabout turn left down Pan Lane. Head east for about a mile, then take the next right turn towards East Hanningfield Hall. The church was situated just behind this hall. A public footpath skirts the site. Nothing of the building remains to be seen. A handful of graves reside in a thicket. Check with the owners of the Hall before visiting the site.

                        Great Warley

              (OS Ref: TQ 5965 8844)

The old church of St Mary the Virgin stood to the south of Great Warley Hall. Holman described it in the early 1700s as being "situated on the left hand side of the road that leads to South Ockendon. The steeple was burnt down by lightning and had 5 bells in it. A tower of wood shingled with a shaft of one square piece of wood. 3 bells."

The original structure can be seen in the accompanying sketch. Holman goes on to describe many monuments and grave slabs in the chancel of the church. These include one to Margaret, wife of John Agmondesham who died in 1582. The majority of the others were 17th and 18th century memorial slabs.

Morant confirms Holman's description: "On the top there is a small spire, of one square piece of wood." Wright describes the building simply as "an ancient building of brick." A north gallery was also present and the Arms of the Commonwealth (which rarely survived) were hung on the wall. In 1803, repairs were necessary to the tower and church walls. In 1833, the Rector's wife added a west gallery to join one situated on the north side.

Teulon redesigned the church in 1858 at a cost of £1,000. The chancel was rebuilt in yellow brick and the old west tower was demolished and rebuilt in red brick. A north vestry was added and the west gallery renewed. It could now accommodate 180 people. (Parts of the base of this later tower are still visible today, in the undergrowth.)

However, the popularity of this rebuilt church was not to last for long. The parish population had moved away from the Hall, up the hill towards Brentwood; the distance they had to travel to the church began to become a nuisance.

Most services in St Mary’s church ceased in about 1892. At this time, a wooden mission church was built in the grounds of Fairstead, nearer to the new centre of the village, for the use of the parishioners. By 1910, Worley described the old church as "...now disused, except for funerals. It is a brick building of no particular interest and its nine `little toy bells' are said to be dismally out of tune."

A new parish church was erected in 1904 and superseded the old church for services. It was designed by C Harrison Townsend and furnished by William Reynolds-Stephens in the Art Nouveau style. It was described as a "truly noble offering to God." This new church has gained a large amount of critical acclaim and is a fine example of its type.

Most of the former church of St Mary's was pulled down in the 1920s. The west tower survived until about 1966, then this too was demolished. On the site today gravestones are scattered over the wooded site. Many more are lined up against a brick wall. These include a few from the 18th century displaying the standard cherubs and skulls. The approximate site of the church can be divined from some brick and stone, which appear to be remains from the tower and part of the north wall.

Location: The site of the original church is a few hundred yards south of the A127, just to the south of Great Warley Hall. The land is kept by the owner of the Hall. Since it is walled off from the garden, visits to the site are permitted at any reasonable time.

 

                        Hatfield Peverel

                (OS Ref: TL782 121)

The original parish church of Hatfield Peverel has been lost in the mists of time. Like the portion of the Priory church which, for the past few hundreds of years, has been used as the Parish church, it was possibly dedicated to St Andrew.

The original church probably fell into disuse and ruin some time between 1200 and 1550. Why this happened is uncertain, but it may be connected with the Priory burning down in 1231. The local parishioners were probably asked to contribute to rebuilding and subsequently permitted to worship there as a consequence of their donations. Since the Priory church was more accessible to locals, it probably became more popular. It's true to say that the Priory church was used for worship from about this time onwards and was still clearly in use at the time of the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

The site of the original church is thought to have been south-west of Hatfield Peverel railway station. The structure may have stood just to the south of 'Church Hills' field. Wright tells us that "The old church belonging to this parish formerly stood upon an eminence near the river, in a field between Hatfield-Bury and Terling called Church fields." Although no evidence of the building remains, in 1952 some mediaeval masonry was found at this location, near the mound, more or less where the river now runs.

In his book 'A History of the Priory and Parish Church of St Andrew, Hatfield Peverel', A J Steele tells us of an oil painting featuring the original church painted in about 1770. Presumably, as he puts it, this was an 'imaginary reconstruction' as there are no records of any structure being visible at this time. Neither is its site shown on the Chapman and André map of 1777. Steele explains that this painting was presented to the church by Mrs Arkwright in 1919 and now hangs in the upper vestry.

Location: The site of the church is just north of the Chelmsford to Colchester railway line, south-west of Hatfield Peverel station, in or near the field known as 'Church Hills'.

                        Hazeleigh

              (OS Ref: TL 8359 0382)

The little church of St Nicholas, Hazeleigh lay two and a half miles south west of Maldon, next to the Old Hall. It has the dubious distinction of having often been quoted as `the meanest church in Essex'. Made of lath and plaster over a timber frame it is thought to have been built by Giles Aleyne and his wife Sarah in about 1600. However, some authors have suggested that the chancel was built earlier while others believe the nave was built a century later. It is thought, by most historians, to have incorporated timbers from an earlier structure on the same site. The first rector was installed in 1390 before which Hazeleigh was only a chapel, perhaps attached to Woodham Mortimer church. Hazeleigh parish registers date to 1575.

It consisted of a nave, chancel, south porch and north vestry. The nave was 25 ft 6 in by 17 ft 9 in and had two original windows in the north wall, "each of three lights in a square head with moulded frames and mullions." There were also two windows in the south wall although the RCHM did not mention these. There was a small timber bell turret at the west end of the nave housing a single bell. The chancel was 11 ft 6 in by 13 ft 3 in and had a wooden, undecorated east window. The vestry (described by some as a ‘lean-to’) was 8 ft 3 in by 11 ft 7 in. The roofs were described by the RCHM as "ceiled and have principals with curved braces; the purlins of the chancel have carved side braces."

Fitch wrote in his ‘Maldon and the Blackwater’ that "Almost the only noteworthy feature is the sixteenth century hour-glass stand projecting from the wall close by the crooked and irregularly shaped reading desk, which is dominated by a distorted pulpit with a skimpy sounding board." The Essex Review states "The whole of the window frames were wooden and appear to have been just ordinary cottage casements, two small ones in the porch, and two on both the north and south sides and one in the east".

In 1684, the Venerable Thomas Turner, Archdeacon of Essex paid the church a visit. He noted that "The church is small in very good repaire," adding, "There wants some mending of ye piews at ye bottom." By 1874, Hazeleigh church was beginning to get a bad press. H W King, writing in his ‘Essexiae Ecclestiatica’ complained "It is extremely small and so utterly devoid of interest...that I did not remain in it five minutes and took no notes...everything is of the meanest character... there is no trace of antiquity left in the building."

The end of the 19th century saw it in a terrible condition. Since the population had moved away from the Old Hall, the church had become sorely neglected. A new, iron church was constructed in 1893 in a more convenient part of the village. Barrett’s Essex (published in 1893) was entirely more sympathetic in his observations on the church, he states "Hazeleigh...despite the drawbacks, as an old fashioned place of worship still remains quite in its Georgian state. Hazeleigh church is worth a visit." Barrett goes on to describe a little of the inside: "The roughly whitewashed walls are rudely decorated with texts of scripture painted in the crudest of distemper colours." On the state of the structure in general he states: "From the outside one may thrust a stick through the wall of the nave into the church, so dilapidated is the entire structure."

The Essex Review included an article on Hazeleigh church in 1923 entitled ‘Ruined and Disused Churches in Essex’. The author, Stephen Barns states that while claims about the church’s famed ‘meanness’ may be true, "as far as Essex is concerned it was unique, and as a specimen of cottage building for church purposes it might well have been preserved while preservation was possible." He conceded that by the 1920s the church was beyond repair and regretfully had to be pulled down. However, he was adamant that if the church had been cared for in the 1890s, it would still be standing today. He described how "The whole building had sunk some eight or nine inches from north to south with the result that the reading desk was crooked as well as the pulpit, and sounding board suspended above. Attached to the wall just above the level of the reading desk was an iron hourglass stand.

After [1893,] neglect and decay slowly brought the building to a deplorable state of ruin. Outside the plaster had fallen away from the laths, particularly on the southern and western sides, and the porch and the timbers of the little bell turret were broken and decayed. Internally the condition was even worse, the plaster of the ceiling had fallen in, and the beams were broken away; the floor tiling displaced and broken and the whole littered with debris. The hour glass stand had disappeared, probably pilfered by some of the vandals who carved their names on the timbers and scribbled their autographs all over the plaster where it remained."

The church had at least one firm champion. A former rector, the Reverend H.R Wadmore, (curate from 1848 to 1850) wrote a small book entitled ‘Poems by a Country Curate.’ In it, he recorded his ‘Recollections of Hazeleigh Church’:

A little Church beside a wood

Securely sheltered from the sweeping blast;

So quiet, so secure, it seems to be

A very type of rest and all that’s still.

'Tis plain and simple, here no tracery

Stretches across the windows- no fair form

Of Saint, or Martyr, or the Holy Cross

Gleams in the sunlight.

By the 1920s, the end of the church was nigh. In an old local newspaper cutting entitled ‘Old Hazeleigh Church - Views on its Demolition’ the Reverend Brook (rector of the combined parish of Woodham Mortimer with Hazeleigh) was quoted as saying "before anything was done a public meeting was held and all present agreed that the old building should be taken down...it should have come down a long time ago. The whole of the foundations had gone, the floor was like the waves of the sea, the roof was falling in, the ceiling was coming down and the windows were broken...there had been no service of any kind there since 1906."

Photographs housed in the Essex Record Office, taken just prior to its destruction, show it to be in a sad state. After a few years acting as a mortuary chapel, it was finally demolished in 1922. Eventually the iron church was also demolished and the parish of Hazeleigh merged with that of Woodham Mortimer. There are indications that the altar rail, described by Reverend Brook as "very interesting and probably Elizabethan," was saved and given to another church. The "Beautiful Bell" of 1793 is hanging in Woodham Mortimer church. The nearby wood now covers the whole of Hazeleigh churchyard. Amongst the trees and undergrowth can still be found a number of gravestones belonging to past parishioners of Hazeleigh church.

Location: The site of the church is at the end of Hazeleigh Hall Lane, a mile south of the A414 Maldon Road. It is on private land. Contact Hazeleigh Hall or Woodham Mortimer Churchwarden before planning a visit.

                        Ingrave

              (OS Ref: TQ 6223 9300)

The original church of St Nicholas, Ingrave lay just south west of Ingrave Hall, near the end of the road that is now known as Middle Road. In 1710, Holman says "the church lyes in a dirty bottom near Ingrave Hall, church and chancell of one pace tiled: in a wooden frame 3 bells a shaft shingled. No monuments &c in."

An archaeological excavation was undertaken by C R Crouchman in 1975. He firmly believed bricks found in the foundations were Roman. Whether this signifies a Roman building that was adapted to become a Christian Saxon church or whether the bricks and tiles were brought from other structures around the area, is unclear. Crouchman concluded that St Nicholas was a small Norman church with an apsidal end built probably in the 12th century, perhaps like Copford or Hadleigh.

He was unsure as to whether it remained with an apsidal end until the 1734 demolition or whether it was squared off later as many others were. He also guessed that the porch was built around 1520 "under the terms of the Wallis Charity." He found both medieval and 18th century pottery in his excavations.

Only two pictures of the church exist and both of these are on estate maps from 1596 and 1689. The earlier picture, by John Walker, shows the nave, chancel, a south porch and a wooden bell-frame at the west end. The second is by William Stane and I believe it to be an inaccurate sketch of the church at this time. It certainly does not appear to agree with Holman's description of the church just twenty years later.

Morant says that the "churches of West Horndon and Gingralph [Ingrave], being grown ruinous, an Act of Parliament was obtained for uniting those two parishes: and the churches being taken down, a new one of brick was built at the charge of the Rt. Hon. the late Lord Petre. It stands about the mid-way between the two ancient churches, near the mounts belonging to West Horndon Hall, whence an avenue to Burntwood [Brentwood] is made, with new plantations of trees and a basin."

Lord Petre of Thorndon Hall built the new church beside the main road (now the A128) in 1734. It is built of red brick and has a huge west tower. It has been described as "the most remarkable 18th century church in the county."

From the original Ingrave church came the Tudor font and a 17th century communion table. From West Horndon came two superb brasses: one to Margaret Wake who died in 1466, and the other to Sir Richard FitzLewes and his four wives.

Today there is nothing of the structure remaining on the site. It was sited in what is now the back garden of a modern house. The exact position is difficult to pinpoint but, if access is permitted to the garden, it was to the right of the pond. There is no evidence of graves above ground although possibly these remain undisturbed below.

Location: The site is on private land. Being in the back garden of a private residence it is unlikely that the owners will take too kindly to visits from the casual passer-by. Contact the owners of Hall Farm to arrange possible access.

 

                        Kelvedon Hatch

                  (OS Ref: TL 5590 0002)

The small village of Kelvedon Hatch is about three miles from Chipping Ongar. However, the original parish church, along with Kelvedon Hall, is sited midway between the two parishes. The parish has had at least three different churches over the years.

The first parish church was medieval. There is very little information on the substance of this old church, which is known to have been in existence from at least 1372. The second Kelvedon Hatch parish church was erected between 1740 and 1753, on the same site as its predecessor. It incorporated many floor monuments from the older building. The structure comprised a chancel and nave of red brick with a small wooden bell turret at its western end.

There were ornamental wooden pillars beside the south door. The chancel had a Venetian east window. It was restored in 1873 by subscription at a cost of £380. Some of these features are still visible today.

St Nicholas was never a grand building but served the parish well and had interesting Georgian features: quite rare in Essex churches. It is worth a visit for this reason alone. The church had many monuments and inscriptions to the Wright family, owners of the nearby Hall for almost 400 years. They finally sold the Hall in 1932.

At the end of 1893, the church and churchyard were closed to interments. A new church (also dedicated to St Nicholas) was built nearer the centre of the village. This was consecrated on 1 November 1895. The 14th or 15th century font and the bell inscribed "Sancte Andree Ora Pro Nobis" were removed to this new church. The Essex Review gave a report of a number of memorials and brasses that were still in the church after its abandonment. Not all of these appear to have made the journey to the new church.

In 1945, a German rocket damaged the old church. Its current state is dismaying. The interior is inaccessible due to the collapse of the east end. A notice warns visitors that the site is dangerous. It is, however, commendable that it has not been demolished. It is at present owned by Paul Channon, lately MP for Southend-on-sea, West.

Location: You must first obtain permission from Kelvedon Hall to view this ruin. Notices advise visitors that the walls may be unsafe. Much of the exterior walls survive with the exception of the east wall. Gravestones appear in lines up against the churchyard wall.

                        Langenhoe

              (OS Ref: TM 0138 1745)

The original church of St Andrew’s Langenhoe was about 4 miles from Colchester. It is generally believed to have been a Norman structure. Despite this, Rodwell described it as "basically medieval in appearance." Morant gave us this description of the church in the 18th century "of one pace with the chancel, tiled: adjoining to the north wall of the Church are the ruins of an oratory, or Chapel. In a Tower of stone there is 1 Bell." Wright adds that "in the window of the chancel of this church are many shields of arms."

In the 19th century, Reverend Parkinson was attempting to raise funds to restore the building. At 9.18 am on 22 April 1884 his plans were thwarted when an earthquake struck. Twenty churches were reputedly damaged but Langenhoe was the worst effected. Many other buildings in the Colchester district were also wrecked. Places as far afield as Somerset, Wolverhampton and Belgium felt the effects.

Even before the earthquake, the tower was said to lean. In fact, it was likened to the tower of Pisa, and leaned due to its "age and bad foundations." The unstable tower, coupled with the fact that the church was almost at the epicentre of the shock meant that it was so badly damaged it had to be virtually demolished and rebuilt.

The Reverend Parkinson was sitting in the rectory when the earthquake struck. He felt "a violent shock." The whole house shook for a few seconds shattering the chimneys, cracking ceilings and collapsing part of the roof. On emerging from the rectory, the Reverend beheld the sad sight of the church. "It seemed utterly ruined" he later said, "some tons of the stone battlements of the tower had been dislodged. These had fallen with great force upon the nave, which was almost entirely destroyed."

The interior suffered further still. "Roof timbers and masonry had smashed the pews and pulpit. The altar was buried under debris and the choir gallery had been ripped from its wall foundations."

The church was closed for two years while the church was rebuilt. It was re-opened in 1886. Much of the old stone and materials were used in the rebuilding. Many of the 15th century features were included in the new church - primarily the windows and doorways. The 500-year-old doors were rehung. The font and bell were kept. The octagonal font dates from the Perpendicular period showing panels with flowers in quatrefoils. The bell proclaimed "Miles Graye made me 1663." Also saved were a 17th century chair and chest.

Langenhoe was said to be one of the most haunted churches in Essex (second only to Borley). The Reverend Ernest Merryweather, rector there for twenty years, had a number of disturbing experiences. This prompted a BBC ghost hunting team to spend the night there in 1961. Unfortunately, nothing materialised. Ghost or no ghost; the church was again haunted with demolition.

The church was not opened again for prayers after 1959 as it was now deemed too dangerous. The last service was held on Easter Sunday of that year and the last person to be buried there was 105 year old Mrs Joanna Locke. Ten local people volunteered to clear up the churchyard in August of that year as it had deteriorated badly. At this stage, the church authorities were already considering Langenhoe’s future and the possibility of its destruction.

Peter Wormwell of Langenhoe Hall made a spirited defence of the church in an effort to save it. He wrote to the Essex County Standard in September 1960: "although the architects' opinion of the condition is not a good one it is my opinion that, if it is not demolished the church will still be standing when all those people standing today will have long since been buried." The authorities, however, finally decided that funds were not available for necessary repairs to make it safe and it was too dangerous to keep the church in its current state. Sadly, demolition was their conclusion.

When demolished in 1962 the church had lasted just 76 years since being rebuilt. It took just over four weeks to demolish the structure. There are many photographs of its destruction. Its font went to North Weald church; the bell went to Abberton. The fate of the 17th century chair is not known. It was decided that the graveyard be fenced off and preserved. The parish was united with Abberton and the Parish Council maintains the graveyard. Nothing remains but a few scattered gravestones. There are no visible remains of the church with its once impressive tower. However, one can just make out the rectangular site of the ill-fated Earthquake church of Langenhoe.

Location: The site of the church is beside Langenhoe Lodge, down Langenhoe Hall Lane. This lane is east from the Colchester Road (B1025) just a mile south of Abberton. The old churchyard can be accessed through a modern white gate.

Layer Breton

              (OS Ref: TL 9495 1718)

The parish church of St Mary's was built in the Norman period and demolished in 1915. The church was approximately 46ft by 25ft. It was a simple structure comprising nave, chancel and bell turret. It derived its name from the Breton family who were Lords of the manor from Norman times until the 15th century.

By 1633 the church steeple was in disrepair and the chancel needed "boarding and glazing." In the early 1700s Holman described a grey marble gravestone situated in the chancel, with brass inscription to Alice wife of Nicholas Breton, dated 1392. The church also had a Communion cup made in 1724. Morant says the bell turret contained a single bell.

In 1829, the newly appointed vicar, Reverend Sutton, embarked on a systematic restoration of the church, beginning with the interior. The pulpit was moved forward, the seating was altered and a children’s gallery built at the east end. In 1834, a vestry was built onto the north side. Zinc troughing was erected all around the church in 1837 in an attempt to overcome the dampness.

Reverend Sutton financed further extensive restoration in 1844. The bell turret was repaired and a west gallery built to accommodate musicians. Iron beams replaced the rotting originals. The exterior and interior were painted. The church contained a tablet to Sutton, its most respected benefactor, who died on the Isle of Wight in 1855.

On 22 April 1884 the Great Earthquake struck. There are few reports of its effect on Layer Breton church but, given the church was near its epicentre, it doubtless caused damage to the foundations. Over the next few years its condition deteriorated and eventually became unsafe. It was shored up but never properly repaired. A watercolour of the old church c.1909, painted by Thomas Simpson hangs in the replacement church.

In October 1914 Philip Laver visited the old church and described its deplorable state in extensive detail:

      "The west wall of the nave, of 19th century brickwork was badly bulging and strutted up to keep it from falling; in it were two wooden square headed windows, one above the other, the upper one having remains of a hood moulding in brick. The south wall of the nave of rubble with brick patches had one window of two lights with stone jambs and mullions, but with a flat wooden head and inserted on the east side of this window were the remains of a hood mould.

      At the angle next to the chancel was a small square buttress of two flights, having a piece of stringcourse put in upside down; this no doubt belonged to the early building. Above the buttress was a small square wooden window to light the pulpit. In the north wall of the nave the rubble was cracked throughout its height in more than one place, and contained many Roman tiles. In this wall near the chancel end was a small square headed two light window of stone."

Laver described the chancel as being of late 17th century brick. It was probably rebuilt later when "a south square headed window made of wood, and a pointed east window, also of wood" was added. He goes on to say "The nave walls had been plastered and the external walls are whitewashed. Round the church at ground level were several circular openings for ventilation under the wooden floor of the pews."

The brick and timber south porch was also very dilapidated. The 15th century south doorway was described simply as "plain." The white brick floor was also in a deplorable state at this time having been "much dug about and destroyed… [by] rabbits." The chancel arch was of the late 15th century. "The communion table was uprooted and overthrown in quest for rabbits. In the centre of the floor were three stone slabs, one on the south side evidently the matrix of a brass." On the north side of the church was a 19th century brick vestry. The roofs were tiled and broken. The wooden bell turret contained one bell. Over the chancel arch were the Royal Arms of Victoria.

In the following year, 1915, the church was demolished. A new church of red brick with a white 'dovecote' turret was built in 1923 at a cost of £2,000. This church contains an interesting piece of Italian sculpture of the Virgin Mary with child and a 16th century wood carving of Abraham and Isaac. A barn opposite Layer Breton Old Rectory was used for worship until the new church was finished.

The old site is now overgrown and, apart from a few gravestones, there is little left to see. In 1920, there remained various worked and moulded stones of the 15th century but these appear to have gone. The most recent grave on the old site is to a former member of the household of Layer Breton Hall, opposite, buried with her husband in the 1980s.

Location: The site of the church lies opposite Layer Breton Hall at the southern end of the parish near Abberton reservoir. It lies in the middle of a copse. The only way to gauge the site of the church is to go prepared with a photo of it, showing the relative position of the remaining tombstones.

                      Little Barling

              (OS Ref: TQ 9180 8988)

Like so many other lost churches, little is known of this forgotten parish and church. If it were not for the fact that the parish of Barling Magna (Great) was still so-called, then I may have completely missed the existence of Barling Parva (Little). In fact, even Rodwell makes no mention of its existence.

The church of that lost parish is said to have been in the vicinity of Bolt's Farm to the north of the current parish. What are thought to be the foundations of this church were dug up in a field there just a few years ago. In dry summer months, it is said to be still possible to make out the faint outline of the church from the air.

This scant information is all I have been able to glean. There is no mention of it in the Essex Record Office and therefore no description of its structure, exact location or reason for its demise.

Location: As mentioned, this is said to be near Bolt's Farm in the parish of Barling. Apply to the farmer before entering the land as it is private property.

 

                        Little Birch

              (OS Ref: TL 9501 2078)

The ruined church of St Mary's, Little Birch sits among undergrowth, off the beaten track, near the site of the former Birch Hall. It is an impressive ruin: perhaps the best in Essex. It is probably my favourite 'lost church'. I was therefore delighted to hear talk of clearing away the nettles and brambles and opening it to the public (However this has not yet happen). According to the current sign, "trespassers" are threatened with prosecution.

The church fell into disuse in 1598. Morant wrote in 1768 that the roof was gone and the church ruinous. This is probably why no gravestones remain. There were at one time, monuments to the Eldred family but these followed the surviving family to Earls Colne. This church then fell into ruin.

Mee described it in 1940 thus: "The big chancel is 600 years old and so is the broken tower, though its upper brickwork is Tudor. The nave was built by the Normans who... made good use of the Roman bricks so plentiful round Colchester. Here they are, in the pilasters, at the corners of the walls, and in the doorway."

The chancel is 26.5 ft by 16 ft and includes 14th century windows and doorway. The chancel arch of about 1400 has largely disappeared. The nave is 31.5 ft by 19ft and has 12th and 14th century windows. Traces of the rood stairs have all but disappeared. The south doorway is largely destroyed.

Considering St Mary’s has been neglected for 400 years, it was in remarkably good condition on my first visit in May 1995. The walls appeared quite sturdy. They are mainly stone with many red tiles and bricks taken from nearby Roman ruins. These materials possibly came from a local Roman Villa.

The interior is quite ruinous. Dead leaves and nettles cover the floor of the chancel and nave but there is still much detail left. Some of the old features can be discerned, such as the remains of the piscina in the east of the south wall, by the chancel window. The east window is entirely dilapidated; indeed one can walk right through the site of the east wall. The only part of the chancel arch to remain is a small fragment on the north side and the remains of the pillar on the south side. However, most of the arches to the remaining windows have survived.

The tower is in good condition. The bottom section is from the 14th century; the top and the stair turret were built in the Tudor period in red brick. It is 6ft 6 ins square and contains a nice 14th century west window. Much of its tracery survives. The interior of the tower still retains some of the original wood that held the bell.

There remains some old graffiti round the tower walls. None of the windows in the church retain their glazing and the roof is missing. No monuments are visible inside the church; no graves are in evidence outside. For all that, St Mary’s still makes an excellent shrine and well worth the visit. A word of warning: at certain times of the year, you may come across a pheasant or two in the churchyard!

 

Location: This ruin is not easy to find. Taking the B1022, there is a road to the left just before Fountain Lane. Follow the lane towards Layer de La Haye. Opposite a small copse called 'Sybils' is a small lane which will warn you against trespassing. The church is on the right, next to the site of Birch Hall. The ruin is on private land. I suggest you contact Mr Round of Great Birch before trespassing onto it.

                        Little Henny

              (OS Ref: TL 8676 3779)

The remains of this small church stand in the grounds of The Ryes Boarding School, a few yards southeast of the building. The site lies about half a mile northwest of the parish church of Great Henny. I visited the site on a cold, foggy January morning in 1996. An eight-year-old pupil showed me around the ruins.

This tiny ancient building was ruinous by the time of Holman. As he described it in about 1710: "everything of the church have been prostrated... only about two yards of stone wall to be seen standing."

In the time of Morant, the parish was still distinct from that of Great Henny. Warwick Rodwell believes that it was "A simple rectangular building, Norman with alterations. Long since demolished; foundations excavated and the walls rebuilt up to a height of approx. 30 inches." It was by then part of a landscaped garden.

In 1930, Fairweather describes "the scanty remains of this little church" as being "of interest to the ecclesiological student as those of a building finally destroyed some three hundred years ago." He tells us of two periods of construction. The first building was perhaps constructed at the end of the 12th century, of Barnack stone. This was a rectangular building 46 ft 4 ins by 15ft 7 ins. All the walls were 3ft 6 ins thick except the west wall which was thinner at 2ft 9 ins and held firm by buttresses. The only door was in the south wall (at the western end). It is thought that the building’s demise began when the east end collapsed, having been built, injudiciously on soft ground.

The church was reconstructed in the 14th or 15th century. The replacement building was 37 ft 2 ins by 15ft 7 ins. The problematic eastern end was cut off and a new wall was erected. The remainder was rebuilt on the existing bases, round parts of the former building. The south wall in particular had suffered from subsidence. At some point, buttresses were added to shore up this and the north wall. Part of a small stone stoup also survives.

The destruction of Little Henny church occurred at the end of the 16th or early 17th century. Fairweather concludes, "the final end of the building was unquestionably by fire, as the entire floor level was covered by a layer of charcoal." There are few surviving monuments. On my visit, one was perched on top of the north wall. It bore the remains of a broken cross. The foundations are 3ft 6ins high in places. Fairweather’s excavations uncovered both medieval pottery, fragments of medieval glass and some Roman dressed green marble. My diminutive guide told me that the graves had been moved down to the roadside. No evidence of them remains today.

Location: The Ryes School lies down a small lane, southeast from the A131 from Bulmer Tye. Permission should be sought from the staff before visiting the ruins, which lie a few yards from the school.

                        Little Holland

              (OS Ref: TM 2090 1667)

Little Holland is situated about two miles from Clacton town centre, on a corner of the road leading to Great Holland. The church site is about 60 yards southeast of Little Holland Hall. Originally a mile from the sea, the ruins are now only about 200 yards from the cliff. Its dedication is unknown and no parish registers exist. The parish of Little Holland always had a very small population.

Trial excavations by Kenneth Walker in 1960 revealed a simple rectangular Norman building approximately 65ft by 22ft. Walker noted that the nave is "almost identical" in size to that of little Clacton just three miles away. It is thought that they may have been built by the same builder, to the same design. It has been suggested that it was built in the first half of the 12th century. The building consisted of a chancel, a nave, a south porch and a steeple.

David Andrews and Howard Brooks wrote about this lost church for the publication ‘Essex Archaeology and History’ in 1989. They divided the church’s construction into four distinct stages. The first stage was a single-celled church with an apsidal end, built in the 11th or 12th century. This was built of "unmortared septaria block laid in clay". It was 44 ft by 19.5 ft at this time.

The second stage occurred in the late 12th or 13th century. The nave was lengthened by 12ft at the west end and the apsidal end was squared off. The extension of the nave is thought to have accommodated the belfry. The church was now approximately 56ft 5ins by 19ft 5ins at its widest point. The walls were over 4 ft thick. None of the original was demolished - the new was simply added to the existing structure.

The third phase consisted of Medieval rebuilding of the 13th and 14th centuries, including the east and west walls. This was with mortared septaria and flint. The fourth period of reconstruction took place from the 15th century to the mid-17th century. This included the use of red bricks in the refreshing and building of the buttresses.

The church is generally thought to have suffered decay due to its "exposed situation towards the sea, [it] was beat down by the frequent recurrence of storms." Severe storms caused erosion down much of the Essex coast during 1376 and 1377. By 1428, Little Holland itself was suffering from the ravages of the sea. In the same year, Little Holland was declared exempt from taxation due to there being less than ten inhabitants. In the 1640s, it was reported that the east coast was losing land daily to the sea. Andrews and Brook cited the coastal erosion as the "principal reason for what seems to have been economic decline at Little Holland."

A visitation by church authorities in 1633 reported that "Their chauncell wants pavinge and glazinge and the walls thereof want pargetting round about and whitinge with inside." The church was obviously in a poor state of repair, though still standing. A Parochial Inquisition of 1650 found there to be fewer than 60 families in the parish - all near Great Clacton. It was decided that the parish should be united with Great Clacton, and so it has remained to this day. The visitation of 1683 recorded that the church had been demolished about 24 years and its bells were in the yard of the Hall. It is estimated that it was demolished around 1656-1659.

A faculty was granted in 1696 to move the church’s bells to Great Clacton. It declared the church had been "for at least these forty years demolished and the place almost eaten up by the seas, so that it is almost impossible to rebuild the same: And that the inhabitants of Little Holland do now repair to Much Clackton... to hear divine services and enjoy all the other privileges and conveniences of the said church."

On demolition, locals helped themselves to the ancient stone; such that the ruins were soon taken down to ground level. In 1977, Warwick Rodwell mourned the fact that the site was "now so disturbed that it may be regarded as archaeologically destroyed." However, in 1987 Anglia Secure Homes built sheltered housing near the site and the Archaeological Section of the Essex County Council carried out an excavation of the foundations of the church, thereby preventing damage to them when building work commenced. The site retains features for the local historian or interested observer to discover, since its outline is still clearly visible. The ruins, up to a foot high, are now covered in grass.

Location: The ruins are set beside Little Holland Hall at the above Ordnance Survey map reference, on the corner of the road from Clacton to Great Holland (the B1032). A small stone tablet announces "Ancient Burial Site" on the path outside the ruins.

              Little Stambridge

              (OS Ref: TQ 8874 9195)

A number of sources name this church All Saints. Others describe it as St Mary's. Whichever the correct dedication, it was a small church consisting of just a chancel, a nave with a small wooden belfry and a south porch. It was sited next to Little Stambridge Hall, barely a mile from Great Stambridge. Originally a medieval church, it was greatly restored in the mid-1800s. Wright described the pre-restored structure as "a small ancient building; the nave and church of one pace; the arms of Bohun appear in the window of the belfry." In 1870, it underwent complete restoration, at a cost of £280. This was a vain but valiant attempt by the Hall’s occupier, Mr Keys, to keep the church open.

A little after this H W King described it as "barbarously rebuilt of red brick upon the old foundations." It appears to have contained little of the original structure at this stage. King maintained that just the south doorway and perhaps the interior structure of the belfry was retained from the original. The wooden spire was, as usual, at the west end but had been modernised with 19th century weatherboards.

The bell tower housed just one bell. But this lone bell was something of a rarity. It was made by Richard Bowler of Colchester, master of the famous bell-maker Miles Graye the elder. The window frames were unusual, being simply made of wood. The Arms of the de Bohun family appeared in the belfry window.

However, King was not at all impressed with Little Stambridge church, describing it as "a paltry edifice in its present condition." The font was of the Perpendicular period. It was the only feature of the church that found favour with King who described it as "of good proportion and neat design, octangular with concave sides." This design was so similar to that of Great Stambridge that King speculated as to whether the same man designed the two.

In 1880, due to the sparseness of the population, the two parishes of Great and Little Stambridge were united. This spelt the end of one of the churches. There was little doubt as to which one would eventually close. The church at Little Stambridge saw its final marriage in 1886 and its last baptism in 1887.

At a vestry meeting on 27 December 1887 "it was decided that in consequence of the dilapidated condition of the building and there being no monument or mural tablets and no architectural feature worth preserving in the same.... The removal of the building it being no longer required for services in consequence of the union of the parishes of Great and Little Stambridge."

The church was finally demolished in 1891. The whereabouts of the font is not known but a rare 19th century print (see figure n) shows what this looked like. Much of the fabric of the old church, including the "ancient piscina" went to St Mark's church in Southend. The East Anglian Magazine commented "One hardly knows why such relics should be removed from their original surroundings or what relation they can bear to the brand new fabric besides which they clearly must appear out of keeping."

Nowadays a copse of trees stands in front of Little Stambridge Hall. Gravestones can be seen scattered within this copse. The old church was, no doubt, sited in the large rectangle where no graves stand. There is little of the fabric left, save a few scattered pieces of stone and red tile. The entrance to the churchyard can easily be discerned on the south side.

Location: Take the Stambridge road from Rochford, east towards Great Stambridge. Little Stambridge Hall Road is about half a mile before Great Stambridge church. The church was situated near the end of the lane, in front of the Hall.

                    Little Wenden

              (OS Ref: TL 5080 3620)

Once there were three Wendens: Wenden Lofts, Great Wenden and Little Wenden. The parish church of Little Wenden was situated "on the left side of the road from Wenden Lofts to Great Wenden." Its dedication is unknown. The only reference I have been able to find describing its appearance is in an old will which mentions the church as having a tower.

The churches of Little Wenden and Great Wenden were less than a mile apart and the joint population was not large enough to keep up payments for both churches. Therefore, at the request of the parishioners, and with the consent of the Earl of Suffolk (patron of the two churches), the parishes of Great and Little Wendon were united in 1662 by Bishop Sheldon. Great Wenden then became known as Wendens Ambo.

Little Wenden’s church and Great Wenden’s vicarage, both being ruinous, were pulled down. Rates were assessed with two parts to Great Wendon and one part to Little Wenden. Little Wenden’s parsonage was repaired and appropriated to the Vicar of Wendens Ambo.

Warwick Rodwell observed "The site of little Wenden church is recorded by the Ordnance Survey as lying under plough-land, adjacent to the rectory. It is, however, probably in the rectory garden. "The present owners of the 'Old Vicarage' have their own theory. They believe that when the vicarage was rebuilt it was moved to the site of the old church, making use of its foundations. The peaceful spirit of the present building confirms this theory for them.

When the M11 was built (on the approximate site of the Second Edition OS map church site) evidence of Little Wenden church was first sought but none was found. On searching the area for tiles and stone very little has been found - just a small amount of (possibly dressed) stone and large flints which possibly came from the church. The rest may have been plundered by local residents for buildings, walls, or repairing Wendens Ambo church.

There may be one other part of the church that survives. It is believed that the timbers in the roof of the Old Vicarage are much older than the building itself and so must have been taken from an existing building. This building was possibly Little Wenden church.

Location: The site of Little Wenden church is open to debate. It was possibly under ploughed land to the west as mapped on the Second Edition OS Map (1897), beneath the concrete of the M11 motorway, in the garden of the Old Vicarage (as stated by Rodwell) or even under that very building! In the absence of further clues, its exact position remains uncertain.

 

                    Loughton

              (OS Ref: TQ 4389 9645)

The original church of the parish of Loughton was dedicated to St Nicholas. It was situated on what is now Rectory Road, beside Loughton Hall. The earliest mention of a church was in a charter granted to Loughton in 1177 by Henry II but the church may have stood for many years previously.

St Nicholas consisted of a nave, chancel, north aisle, south porch and a weather-boarded tower with shingled spire. The nave and chancel were both about 18ft wide. They were about 56ft in combined length. There was a large 15th century window at the east end of the chancel. In the chancel’s south wall there was a two-light window and a low-side window. The north aisle measured about 18ft by 54ft. A chapel was situated at its east end, divided from the rest of the aisle by a wooden screen. The tower was built in two stages - stone at the base with a dark wooden belfry.

It is believed that St Nicholas had three bells. One of these was apparently sold at the end of the 18th century. The remaining two were recast to become the fifth bell of St John’s. In 1737, the tower and spire were repaired and general repairs were made in 1825-7 and 1829.

In 1836, Loughton Hall was demolished. The church had already become isolated and it was now even more removed from the village centre. A new church, dedicated to St John, was therefore built in 1846 in a more convenient location in Blind Lane. Built in Norman style in yellow brick it consists of a nave, central tower, chancel transepts and a north porch.

It was decided to demolish St Nicholas in the hope that some of the proceeds would offset the building of St John's. However, it only raised £89, instead of the expected £250. The chancel remained, to be turned into a mortuary chapel. Within thirty years, with the huge expansion of Loughton, it was decided to build another church on the site of the old. In 1877, what was left of the old church was demolished and a replacement St Nicholas was built a few yards to the east, in a similar style to the old. For many years, this church was used privately by the inhabitants of the new Loughton Hall, which had just been built.

It is believed that the original plate was destroyed when the former Loughton Hall burnt down. There are several 16th and 17th century brasses in the replacement St Nicholas. There is a late-16th century painting of the Annunciation and early-16th century glass in the north and south windows: all thought to have come from the original church. The gable of the porch is reported to include carved bargeboards from the old church.

Location: The site of the old church is just yards from the east window of its replacement. The outline of its structure is still visible, as are many of its monuments. Apply to the warden for the key of the new St Nicholas to view the original glass and brasses, since access is restricted to services. The site of the old church is however accessible at all times.

                        Manningtree

              (OS Ref: TM 1076 3185)

The church of St Michael and All Angels was situated in Manningtree High Street, replacing a much more ancient chapel in a less convenient position. Some of the stone from the earlier monument is believed to have been incorporated into the replacement building.

The earlier chapel had suffered much at the hands of the Reformation and fell into disuse. The inhabitants of Manningtree feared their town would be open to invasion by pirates or other sea faring opportunists while they were worshipping at Mistley. So, in 1616 they chose a more convenient site for the replacement church: the High Street. The frontage of the north aisle formed an integral part of the High Street until its demolition in 1967. The churchyard was situated at the rear.

The first construction consisted simply of a nave and two aisles. It was built in brick, septaria and flint and featured an interesting 17th century hammerbeam roof. The chancel was added much later. Some of the church timbers are reputed to have been reused wood from old ships. The nave was 50ft by 15ft 5ins. Galleries over the two aisles were erected in about 1788. The south aisle was rebuilt in 1821. A chancel was finally added in 1839. It had a small belltower and contained a 15th century octagonal font.

St Michael and All Angels’ was elevated to the status of a parish church in 1840, having previously been a chapel to its mother church in Mistley. The church could hold an impressive congregation of 1,250 people during this period.

The building also housed an interesting collection of artefacts. There was a memorial to Thomas Ormond, erected in 1748. The 'clothworker' was burned to death during the reign of Queen Mary I in 1555, for his religious convictions. There was a collection of plate cup, cover and two patens. The Bishop of London, William Laud, later Archbishop to Charles I. gave all these to the church, in 1633. There was also a fine painting by Constable which Scarfe says is "now safely at Feering" but has recently been sold at auction.

In 1899, it was not considered cost effective to carry out a substantial reconstruction of St Michael and All Angels, so the congregation made the best of the existing structure. At some time around this period, the church was closed. In December 1901 it was reopened and renovated. New pine seats replaced the old-fashioned high pews. A new floor was laid. A new pulpit, lectern, chancel rail and choir stalls were fitted, at a total cost of £700.

The church remained in use until 1964. Between 1957 and 1964 a number of examinations were carried out in order to save the timbers of the nave roof. During repair work it was found that these massive hidden oak timbers were so decayed by rot and beetle that the nave was in danger of collapsing. The estimated cost of restoration was £22,500: the same cost of a replacement, which could be situated more conveniently, in the centre of the village.

A ‘Dangerous Structure’ notice was posted by Tendring District Council in December 1966 and insurance cover was withdrawn. Part of the church was demolished. The only part left was the High Street wall of the nave, the chancel and the vestry. Despite much vehement protestation against demolition, no funds were forthcoming and it was decided to amalgamate the two parishes of Mistley and Manningtree. Demolition was completed in December 1967.

The sealed vault under the site was still in existence when the church was demolished. This contained coffins to the Alston family, old brewers in Manningtree. A small number of houses, erected in the early 1970s, stand on the former site of the church. The only surviving relic is a section of the western-most buttress and a small part of that wall.

Location: The church stood in the middle of Manningtree High Street. A plaque indicates the site. All that can be seen today is a section of the west wall and a single buttress.

                        Markshall

              (OS Ref: TL 8409 3525)

The parish of Markshall lies two miles north of Great Coggeshall. Morant tells us that the original church of St Michael; " stands near the mansion house, and consists of a body of the same pace with the chancel. At the west end there is a wooden turret, containing 1 bell." The 'mansion house' Marks Hall was a Tudor structure surrounded by a wooded deer park. The nearby medieval church comprised a nave, chancel and bell-turret. During the 17th century, the west window held a portrait of an armed knight baring the Arms of Markshall on his surcoat.

By 1875 St Michael’s had changed dramatically. The medieval church was demolished by General Philip Honywood and a new octagonal brick building; this time dedicated to St Margaret was erected. Mrs Frances Honywood then added a tower and carried out extensive renovations - some sources say she had it virtually rebuilt. A new altarpiece, a fine painting, representing the taking down of Jesus from the cross, was now in residence.

A number of memorials to the Honywood family could also be seen in the church. There was a tablet to an earlier Mrs Honywood - Mary who died in 1620 aged 93. She left behind 16 children, 144 grandchildren, 228 great grandchildren and 9 great great grandchildren: a total of 397 descendants. This memorial now resides in Great Coggeshall church.

Several other memorials to members of the Honywood family were taken to Colchester and can be seen in the garden beside the Holy Trees Museum. They include one of Sir Thomas, who took a leading part in the siege of Colchester and was brother-in-law to Sir Harry Vane. Many others were bricked up in the vaults. In the mid-19th century the church was extensively altered and extended. This work included an enlarged chancel and nave.

By the 1920s, the local parishioners were frequenting Coggeshall church instead. Markshall church therefore became redundant. It was finally demolished in 1932. The oak choir-stalls, the reading desk and the brass lectern were brought to Coggeshall. The clock mechanism from the church is now displayed in the Visitor's Centre. An old bell made by Richard Bowler, dated 1595, was housed within the church but the fate of this ancient relic is not know to me. At least one publication states that this bell is housed in the Visitor’s Centre. However, it is not there and what is more, the curator at the Visitor’s Centre has never seen it!

The plate included a cup and cover-paten of 1628. The fate of these is uncertain; they were probably sent to Coggeshall church. The Parishes of Markshall and Coggeshall were then amalgamated. The parish registers, surviving from 1582, are housed at the Essex Records Office. A few tombstones dating from the early 19th century to the 1920s are still in existence, in the well-tended churchyard. A new altar has been built and the rector of Coggeshall holds services at the site a couple of times a year. The three-storey Hall (mostly rebuilt in 1609) was demolished in 1951.

Location: The site of the church is on Marks Hall Estate off Marks Hall Road, a little north-west of Coggeshall. "The Thomas Phillips Price Trust" now maintains the site. The estate provides a beautiful walk on a fine day with lakes, a walled garden and huge tracts of Parklands.

                    Mashbury

              (OS Ref: TL 6519 1188)

The small parish of Mashbury lies six miles to the northwest of Chelmsford. Now united with the Chignals (St James, Smealy and St Mary) the church sits isolated, opposite Mashbury Hall. Morant and Wright had little to say of the church other than that it was plain, of one pace, tiled and with a steeple containing three bells.

It is a small church of Norman origin with no known dedication. The walls are a mixture of flint, rubble and Roman bricks. The chancel is 23ft by 19ft and mainly mid 12th century in date. It may have once had an apsidal west end. The nave is 35ft by 21ft and has two small Norman windows; one in the north and one in the south walls. The nave also contains two 14th century windows. According to Worley, since the windows and doorways of the nave are so narrow, this suggests that "the builders had an eye for defence."

The north doorway is quite plain but contains some attractive 13th century ironwork. The south has elaborate 12th century decoration with, as Worley puts it, "chevron mouldings of the arch, the carved capitals on which it rests and the star-like ornament of the tympanum."

In the 15th century, this small church was extensively altered. The chancel arch was rebuilt and chancel extended eastwards. It is possible that at this time the more usual square end replaced an apsidal end. The Tudor red brick porch was built in about 1500. The roofs of both the nave and the porch are from the 15th century.

The 17th century octagonal oak pulpit is no present at the church. I have been unable to determine its whereabouts. Perhaps it has found a new home in a nearby church. Neither can I locate the 15th century chest; described as being "strong with bands of iron and seven hinges." This was still in the church earlier in this century.

Fragments of old glass - a 14th century piece showing the figure of a saint and a 16th century piece showing faces of leopards - still appear in the windows. There were a number of watercolours by William Hole over the altar including one of the Nativity. These are no longer apparent in the building.

In about 1865 (some sources say 1872) the church was struck by lightning. The subsequent fire destroyed the bell-turret, roof and melted the two bells. The bell turret was rebuilt in 1892 and recently (1982) described by Hough as "a pretty little nineteenth century bell turret." The 15th century wooden framework (or 17th century as Hewett describes it) supporting the old turret, survived the fire.

The church appears to have been in good repair during 1920s when the RCHM reported on it. None of the other 20th century sources I have researched mention its neglect so presumably this happened in the past twenty years or so. Today, the structure appears to be quite sound but the interior needs clearing. It is however, well wort