Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wendens Ambo (EHER 217)

An interesting flint rubble building dating from the latter part of the 11th century comprising a west tower, nave with north and south aisles and a chancel. There is also the remains of a 14th century cycle of wall paintings depicting episodes in the life of St Margaret, the martyr of Antioch.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 217, 218, and 36775. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Church. <1> The Church of St Mary the Virgin: the aisleless nave and lower part of the tower are of late eleventh century (Saxo Norman) workmanship, the rest of the church being 13th and 14th century with some modern work. The walls are flint rubble with some pebbles and stone blocks, and some Roman brick; the chancel walls are cement-covered; the dressings are oolite and clunch; the roofs are partly tile and partly lead-covered. Nave and west tower were built late in the 11th century. The south aisle was added early in the 13th century, later in this century the chancel was rebuilt, widened southwards and probably lengthened. A north aisle was added early in the early 14th century. A south porch was added late in the 15th or early in the 16th century, the clerestorey added and a vestry formed in the west end of the south aisle. The north aisle and south porch were rebuilt in the 19th century. The parapet to the tower is 15th century. RCHM has a photo of the church. Features and fittings include: 11th, 13th, 15th, 15th-16th and 16th century windows and window details; 11th century west doorway wit arch chiefly of Roman brick; early 13th century south doorway, altered in the 15th century; 15th-early 16th century vestry doorway with 16th century door; 15th century timbers in chancel and nave roofs; ceiling to tower ground floor is 15th century; a brass of about 1415 on south wall in south aisle; font of about 1400 piscinae - late 13th century in chancel, early 14th century in south aisle late 15th century pulpit, excellently preserved; late 15th century screen in chancel; late 15th century seating in nave; late 14th century stoup in tower small square hole in chancel south wall, uncertain purpose; timber-framed staircase in tower, late 15th century, original door. Site Assessment = West tower is an interesting example of late 11th century work, the 15th century pulpit is noteworthy. <2> Remains of an interesting cycle of 14th century paintings came to light in 1934. They are episodes from the life of St Margaret. Tower arch is Norman. South arcade is Early English, north arcade later. <3> St Mary the Virgin Church. According to Rodwell the shorth nave is probably Saxon. The tower is usually described as Saxo-Norman but is more complicated with several periods of construction, the earliest using much Roman brick. The head of the west doorway is almost certainly later than the jambs and the windows show at least two phases. Chancel and south aisle are 13th century, north aisle 14th century (rebuilt 1898). Graded AIa by Rodwell. Site Assessment = Nave Saxon, fine tower is Saxon or Saxo-Norman. The wood-block flooring in the tower is breaking up and the interesting timber staircase (unique in the Archdeaconry of Colchester) is now labelled 'unsafe'. Careful restoration is essential. External ground level high, a recent quinquennial survey recommends that it be lowered all round. "No opportunity should be lost to investigate the archaeology of this church, either above or below ground. Graveyard is unexceptional". Pagan Saxon burials found nearby. Earliest phase of tower uses Roman brick in quantity. <4> Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Grade 1. An interesting flint rubble building dating from the latter part of the 11th century. The semicircular arch of the west door is entirely of Roman tiles. There is also the remains of a 14th century cycle of wall paintings depicting episodes in the life of St Margaret. Clerestorey is 15th century. Tower is surmounted by a slender spire (Hertfordshire spike). <5> Roman brick and tile are built into the 11th century brick walls. <6> 1974. Field visit. The aisleless nave and lower part of the tower are of late 11th century workmanship with much of the rest of the structure 13th and 14th century. <7> June 1989. Field visit. As described. Church in normal use. <8> 2019. Excavation. While the excavation of WAMVIC 19 TR1 has not irrefutably proven the existence and location of Wenden Parva church (demolished in 1662), the excavation of TR1 has borne out the earlier evidence of the resistivity survey in identifying a curvilinear stone foundation consistent with the overall interpretation that the resistivity survey had identified the location of the missing church of Wenden Parva. The limited evidence available from this evaluation and the earlier survey suggests Wenden Parva church stood as a simple arrangement of nave and apsidal chancel. Its apsidal wall stood it seems on flint foundations of 1.38m width bedded into a thin chalk mortar layer. These foundations are it seems preserved as a base layer only at a depth of approximately 0.5m below the present ground surface. Consequently on stylistic grounds and with the historical evidence for a chapel in its twinned manor of Eynesworth/Chardwell dating to the 12th century, the working hypothesis remains that a stone church at Wenden Parva was perhaps constructed sometime between 950 and 1150. <9> See also: <10> <11>