Church of St Michael, Woodham Walter (EHER 39095)

A parish church built in around 1563 and consecrated in 1564, for Thomas, Earl of Sussex. It incorporates much re-used materials and was restored in around 1879, and the north porch and belfry added at this time. It is built from red brick with limestone dressings. The roofs are covered in red plain tile, and the spire is covered in shingle.

December 1959. Grade II* listed. A parish church built in around 1563 and consecrated in 1564, for Thomas, Earl of Sussex. It incorporates much re-used materials including 14th century nave and chancel roof structures, north arcade columns, 15th century north aisle roof structure, and a font from around 1400. It was restored in around 1879, and the north porch and belfry added at this time. It is built from red brick with limestone dressings. The roofs are covered in red plain tile, and the spire is covered in shingle. There is no division between the nave and chancel but the chancel has a lower level roof. There are buttresses to the SE, NE and NW angles. There is a 1914/1918 commemorative clock to the apex of the west gable of the nave. Internally, the chancel has carved wall panels by Chilton Newburn, 1901-4 and a red and black panel above the vestry door inscribed 'JP 1953'. There are decorative altar rails, carved choir stalls and stained glass roundels in the SW windows of suns, zodiacs and heads, and in a north window of a man reaping. The octagonal font is 14th/15th century and probably from the previous church. There are two bronze wall plaques: 1932 to John Walker Gregory FRS.,FGS. Scientist, explorer, teacher, and 1905 to Henry Ayrton Chaplin research scientist, Gold Coast colony. The bells are from 1676 by Miles Graye, 1713 Thos. Gardiner Sudbury, and 1470 Giles or Henry Jordon. It is believed to be the only church in Essex to be built during the reign of Elizabeth I. <1> See photos <2>. July 1987. Field survey. St Michael's Church (name confirmed) in normal use. (See ground photographs 108/D28 view from west). <3> September 2013. Watching brief. Monitoring of ground works for a small extension over the site of the demolished south porch recovered samples of brick and tile from the 1563 construction of the church, with this porch having been demolished in the 1790s, plus four sherds of medieval and late medieval pottery indicative of earlier activity at the site. In all probability due to the location over the former south porch, no burials were disturbed, though on the eastern side of the raft foundation three or four grave cuts were seen in section. <4> 2016. Dendrochronology sampling. See <5>. St Michael's Church (C of E) (NAT). <6> Parish Church of St Michael, Woodham Walter, has red brick walls with limestone dressings and tiled roofs. The whole church, consisting of chancel, nave, north vestry and north aisle was built in 1563 and is said to have been consecrated in 1564. The church was restored in the 19th century when the bell-turret was rebuilt. The former church is said to have stood near the Hall (EHER 39114) and some of its roof timbers were probably re used in the existing building. Architectural description. <7> See also <8>. See photos <9> and <10>. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import.