Church of St Mary the Virgin, Birchanger (EHER 4645)

A small flint and stone building of early 12th century origin with an early 13th century chancel undivided externally from the nave. Extensively restored in the 19th century. There is documentary evidence that an adjoining round tower was destroyed in the 18th century.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 4645, 4646, 4647, and 35498. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St Mary's Church (C of E) (NAT). <1> Church of St Mary, Grade II*. A small flint and stone building of early 12th century origin with an early 13th century chancel undivided externally from the nave. It was extensively restored in the 19th century. Flint rubble walls with clunch and limestone dressings. Evidence of development of the church is much obscured by modern restoration and rebuilding. Nave probably dates to 1125, and the chancel apparently rebuilt about 1225. The windows are: about 1225, 13th century, and late 15th century. There are doorways of about 1125 and the 12th century, the latter is ornamented. The font is octagonal and late 15th century, the piscina is 15th century. The seven benches in the nave are late 15th century. In the 19th century the present north aisle, with a vestry at the east end and a porch at the west end, was added and the whole church was much restored. Plate includes a cup of 1561. <2> The interesting things are the two Norman doorways, west (reset, no doubt originally on the north side) and south. The latter was only discovered in about 1930. It is similar in decoration, with chip-carved saltire crosses. On the south side there is figure carving high up in the tympanum of a lamb, unique in Essex but common in other counties. Bellcote on the nave is 19th century. North aisle by Sir Arthur Blomfeld, 1898. <3> On the edge of a loosely ordered village. Saxon or Saxo-Norman nave with two very fine doorways 13th century, largely intact but restored. A Saxon double-splayed window was destroyed when the north aisle was built in 1898. Pevsner was wrong in asserting that the west doorway has been reset and removed from the north side, though whether either doorway is original to the walls is another matter. There are arched recesses that possibly opened once into porticuses or transepts. An acoustic jar, now lost, was found in the wall over the south doorway. 19th century restoration clumsy. External walls suffered 19th century blanket refacing. Graded AIc by Rodwell. <4> Early 12th century origin, chancel and nave undivided externally. Doorways of similar date of about 1125. Extensively restored in the 19th century with an addition to the north side. The organ built by Augustus Gern is the only unspoiled example of his work in the country. <5> Photo of south doorway. <6> See also: <7> <8> Site Assessment = A round tower was demolished in the 18th century. Evidence of development much obscured by restoration and rebuilding. South doorway largely obscured by a shed, an oil tank, pile of rubbish. Despite damage the church is worthy of investigation should the opportunity arise.