Church of St Mary, Burnham-on-Crouch (EHER 25032)

A 14th, 15th and 16th century parish church, restored is 1775 and the 1870s. In plan, it is a hall church with continuous aisles and no structural division between the nave and chancel, an unusual plan for Essex. The North and South arcades are of nine bays, with the Western six forming the nave and the Eastern three the chancel. There are North and South porches and a West tower. The building is built of flint rubble, rag rubble and brick with stone dressings and tiled roofs. Summary from record 11225: Church near Burnham Hall contains Roman brick and septaria. Summary from record 11226: Parish church built of flint, ragstone and rag rubble with some C17 brick, Roman brick and septaria, and with dressings of limestone. Summary from record 11227: Church of predominantly C14-C16 construction with more recent restoration upper part of tower partly rebuilt.

Description derived from merging this record with EHER 11225-11227: November 1951. Grade II* listed. A 14th, 15th and 16th century parish church, restored is 1775 and the 1870s. In plan, it is a hall church with continuous aisles and no structural division between the nave and chancel, an unusual plan for Essex. The North and South arcades are of nine bays, with the Western six forming the nave and the Eastern three the chancel. There are North and South porches and a West tower. The building is built of flint rubble, rag rubble and brick with stone dressings and tiled roofs. The roof was rebuilt after a fire in 1774. The South porch is dated 1523 and has early 16th century linenfold panelled doors, reset from the outer to the inner opening in 1930. The West tower is of three stages, the lower part 14th century and the upper parts 15th century. The West door was blocked to form a window in the 18th century. The top of the tower is said to have been rebuilt and shortened in 1702, and the steeple was lost after storms in 1779. Internally, there is no chancel arch or screen, and the interior is dominated by the long, smooth plaster vault inserted after a fire in 1774. There is a 12th century plain square Purbeck marble font which is badly worn. A cover was added in 1955. There is a 15th century piscina in the North aisle, and an aumbry of 1954. The pulpit is of Caen stone with marble panels and shafts, and carved figures in canopied niches 1877 by J Forsyth. The choir stalls with open traceried fronts were installed in 1922 and the nave benches are 19th century. A small brass from around 1500 with a Virgin and Child were found in the churchyard in 1977. An indent for brasses found in the North aisle may be by Henry Boode, an early 16th century benefactor. Wall tablets include an early 19th century tablet to the Scott family including Rev. Alexander Scott, chaplain on HMS Victory at Trafalgar, and another to George and Lydia Middleton, d. 1680. There are memorials for both WWI and WWII. In the churchyard is a brick mounting block of 1733. St Mary the Virgin, Burnham on Crouch is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons: * A large, fully aisled hall church of the 14th-16th centuries with important surviving medieval fabric. * An unusual 18th century plaster barrel vault, added after a fire in 1774. * Some good 19th century fittings, including an elaborate pulpit by J Forsyth of 1877 and stained glass. <1> A parish church built of flint, ragstone and rag rubble with some 17th century brick, incorporating some Roman brick and septaria, and with dressings of limestone. The chancel, nave, North aisle and the lower stage of the West tower were built towards the end of the 14th century. In the mid 15th century, the two upper stages of the tower were added or rebuilt and later in the 15th century the North aisle was lengthened to the East forming a North chapel. The South aisle was added in around 1500 and lengthened shortly after to form a South chapel; the South porch was built at this time. The church has been restored and the upper part of the tower partly rebuilt. The 14th century East window of the nave is modern externally. There is a North arcade of nine bays of which the three to the East are of late 15th century or early 16th century date, and the remaining six are 14th century. There are nine bays to the South arcade, the six Westernmost are from around 1500, while the rest early 16th century. The North aisle has a 15th century window in the East wall and five 14th century windows in the North wall. The North doorway is 14th century; the window in the West wall is recent except for parts of the splays and the rear arch which are of late 15th century date. The East window of the South aisle is late 15th century, and of the seven in the South wall, the three Easternmost are from 1520, whilst the rest are late 15th century. The doorway in the South wall is early 16th century. In the West wall is a 15th century window of three cinquefoiled lights in a square head with a label. The West tower is of three stages with an embattled parapet. There is a 14th century two-centred tower arch of two chamfered orders. The West window is of around 1360 and repaired in the 16th of 17th century. The North and South walls of the second stage each have a 15th century window. The bell chamber has a 15th century window in each wall and in the West wall above the window is a large cross in knapped flints. The North porch is of early 16th century brickwork with a crow-stepped North gable. The South porch has an early 16th century outer archway; its roof has moulded wall plates of early 16th century date. One of the bells is 15th century. The font is a square headed bowl of Purbeck Marble, from the 12th century. The West window contains 14th century glass. In the East wall of the nave is a 15th century piscina. One of the five bells was made in 1673. Monuments include a table tomb to Sara, wife of Josia Kinsman of 1703, and a floorslab in the North aisle of 1678. <2> <3> <4> The church near Burnham Hall contains Roman brick and septaria. <2> <3> <5> <6> NRHE data transfer: Parish Church of St Mary (pale, p xxxii) stands about 1m North of the town. The East wall of the chancel is of squared diaper of flints, ragstone and 17th century brick. The South chapel is roughly coursed flints; the South aisle of flint-rubble; the North aisle of rag-rubble; the South porch of flint and rag-rubble. The lower stage of the West tower is of septaria with some Roman brick and flint; the upper stages are of ragstone-rubble. The North porch is of brick. The dressings are of limestone and the roofs are tiled, except those of the North and South aisles which have lead flats. The chancel, nave, North aisle, and lower stage of West tower were built towards the middle of the 14th century. In the middle of the 15th century the two upper stages of the tower were added or rebuilt. Late in the same century the North aisle was lengthened towards the East, forming a North chapel. The South aisle was added 1500, and lengthened Eastward a few years later to form a South chapel and the South porch was also built. The church has been restored in modern times and the upper part of the tower partly rebuilt. <2> Additional reference. <4> St Mary's Church (CofE) [NAT]. <7> Church of St Mary. A 14th century stone rubble church of nine bays. The upper part was rebuilt in 1703. Grade B (see list for details). <8> NRHE summary description: 14th-16th century church restored 1775 and 1870's. Flint rubble, rag rubble, and brick. Stone dressings. Tiled roofs, with lead on the aisles. A hall church with continuous aisles and no structural division between nave and chancel, an unusual plan for Essex. The North and Suth arcades are of 9 bays, with the western six forming the nave and the eastern three the chancel. There are North and South porches and a West tower.