Church of St Mary the Virgin, Little Hallingbury (EHER 4432)

Church. The walls are of flint rubble mixed with some tile and Roman brick. The roofs to the 12th century Nave, 12th and 13th century Chancel, 14th century Porch and 19th century Vestry are plain red tile. The Bell Turret, rebuilt 19th century has a timber framed and plastered base and octagonal shingle spire. 19th century North Aisle is clad with treated stainless steel as used on the Thomas Flood Barrage. The South Porch is of late 14th century timber construction with unusual side tracery of squashed ogees and circles and has original bargeboards to gable. 12th century south doorway is of Roman brick with rubble infilled tympanum supported by crenelated and moulded beam.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 4432, 4433, 4434, and 37857. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Church. <1> Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in the village. Walls are of flint-rubble mixed with tiles and Roman brick. The nave was built early in the 12th century. Part of the chancel walls may be of the same date. It was lengthened, if not rebuilt, about the middle of the 13th century. The south porch was added late in the 14th century. The windows include examples of the early 12th century, 13th century, 14th century and the 15th century. The south doorway is early 12th century. The chancel roof is early 16th century, the porch roof late 14th and the nave roof has a 15th century king-post truss. One bell is probably 14th century, another 15th. The south doorway has an early 15th century door. The piscina is 13th century and there is an early 16th century niche. The church was restored in the 19th century when the north aisle and south vestry were added and the bell-turret rebuilt. There is a bell of 1683. <2> The south porch is interesting with unusual tracery of squashed ogee arches and squashed circles with ogee tops and bottoms of the 14th century. Roman brick and tile in the church, Norman south doorway with Roman brick. <3> The south porch has original bargeboards to the gable. The nave roof has a reconstructed octagonal crown post. The bell turret was rebuilt in the 19th century, has a timber-framed and plastered base and an octagonal shingle spire. The 19th century north aisle is clad with treated stainless steel as used on the Thames flood barrage. (RCHM 1). <4> March 1950. Field survey. Brick and tile probably come from a building 1 mile south-west of the church on South House Farm. The Roman building material in the church lead to the discovery of this building. <5> <6> July 1973. Field survey Dating from the 12th century, the church has been altered and restored in each succeeding century. At what period the Roman 'brick' was incorporated in the walls is not certain. <7> 1996. Watching brief. Watching brief on extension to the church had already been backfilled by the time of the visit. ECC were only informed by the District not the developers. Services trench still open, no sign of any features, but significant quantities of broken peg tile on the surface. <8> August 1995. Test pitting. In August 1995 two test pits were dug to sample the archaeology and the soil before an extension was planned. The test pits revealed that the Chancel had indeed been rebuilt. A flanged Roman tegula was found in test pit 1. <9> See also: <10> - <14>