Church of St Mary the Virgin (EHER 5590)

St Mary the Virgin church has an un-aisled 11th century nave, wider on the South side, the rest (West tower, North vestry and South porch, Chancel) 14th-15th century. It was restored 1858 by William Watts. It is built mainly of flint rubble with some Roman brick and stone mixed in. The North-East angle of the nave and the North door have Roman brick quoins, the other dressings are stone. It has a timber-framed South porch and tiled roofs.

Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import. The church walls are flint and pebble rubble mixed with some Roman brick (see 5589) and iron puddingstone. It has dressings of Roman brick and limestone, and tiled roofs. The nave is late 11th century. In around 1330 its south wall was taken down and it was widened on this side. The west side was added in the 2nd half of the 14th century, early in the 15th century the chancel was rebuilt and the south porch was probably also added in the 15th century (it was originally timber-framed but has been largely built up in brick). Features and fittings: windows and window details of the early 14th century, 14th century, late 14th century and 15th century, doorways of late 11th, mid 14th, late 14th centuries, a sundial panel (probably) of the 16th century, the nave roof has three 15th century tie-beams, the south porch roof has posts and a tie-beam of, probably, the 15th century, there is a 14th century corbel in the nave, there is a bell of around 1400 and another of mid 15th century date, there is stained glass of the 14th century and of around 1400, there is a 14th century niche, the inscription plate survives from a brass of around 1470, two recesses with oak effigies of around 1330, a piscina of around 1400, a 14th century stoup, a fragment of 12th century carved stone built into the chancel north wall. The north vestry and the gallery date to around 1800. The church was restored in the 19th century and the nave's south wall east of the porch rebuilt above the string course. This wall has a 'modern' window and an 18th century or later window (except its 14th century rear arch etc). One of the bells is of the late 16th century, another is dated 1636. There is an inscription plate from a brass on the east wall of the nave, dated 1611. There are late 17th century chests and a chair. The communion table is mid or late 17th century. There is a 17th century monument, also a floor slab. There is late 16th and late 16th or early 17th century panelling and paving of c1700. The plate includes a cup of c1700 with ornamental bands of 1836. <1> <2> Pevsner dates the oak effigies to around 1320. 15th century painting on the north wall <3> late 11th century origin for nave, much altered in the 14th and early 15th centuries. Late 14th century wall painting on the north wall <4> There is an early 19th century vestry and west gallery. Later in the 19th century the church was restored and the upper part of the south wall of the nave rebuilt <3> Site Assessment = In fairly good condition, tower stonework much weathered, heavy ivy growth on it <1> Hypocaust said to have been found here. Many Roman tiles in church. <5> Field survey, 1976 The Roman material is visible in the fabric of the church, see photograph. The findspot of the alleged hypocaust was not confirmed. J Berridge was then the vicar but is now deceased. <6> Field survey, 1987 PARISH CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN stands on the NW side of the parish. The walls are of flint and pebble-rubble mixed with some Roman brick and re-used freestone in the chancel and with iron puddingstone and Roman brick in the N wall of the nave, of which the NE angle and the N doorway have quoins of Roman brick; the dressings are otherwise of limestone, and the roofs are tiled. The Nave was built late in the 11th century, but c.1330 its S wall was taken down and it was widened on that side. Shortly afterwards the chancel-arch was built. In the second half of the 14th century the West Tower was added, and early in the 15th century the Chancel was rebuilt; probably in the same century the South Porch was added. The North Vestry and the gallery are both of around 1800. In the 19th century the church was restored, and the S wall of the nave E of the porch was rebuilt above the string-course. Among the fittings the 14th and early 17th-century monuments are especially noteworthy. In addition to the Roman brick quoins on the N side of the nave, there is generally much tile and brick, some of which is apparently Roman, incorporated into the flint and ironstone walls of the church. No further Roman material has been found recently in the graveyard, but most new graves are situated in a northern extension to the churchyard away from the actual church site which is on a low eminence overlooking the Chelmer valley to the N. Although not known for sure, parishioners thought that the hypocaust found in 1939 was through digging gateposts S of the church near to the road. Everything considered, the situation is very favourable as the site of a Roman villa, and the material used in the church and found in the graveyard suggests it is located not far away. <7> Evaluation, 2003 Trenches dug in advance of a cemetery extension revealed probable alluvial deposits and an undated pit. No evidence of Roman or medieval occupation, or earlier burials, was discovered. <8> Hand excavation of two small post-pits which lay beneath the open arch between the nave and the tower and were intended to hold and secure a large wooden screen revealed the floor to be comprised of flint and gravel in a lime-based mortar. Peg-tile and small pieces of medieval tile were recovered from the next deposit in the sequence. These were overlain by modern concrete and a tiled floor. <9> Evaluation, 2006 Hand excavation of two small post-pits which lay beneath the open arch between the nave and the tower and were intended to hold and secure a large wooden screen revealed the floor to be comprised of flint and gravel in a lime-based mortar. Peg-tile and small pieces of medieval tile were recovered from the next deposit in the sequence. These were overlain by modern concrete and a tiled floor. <10> - <12> Photos <12> Original Listing Description: A stone rubble church with stone traceried windows. The 14th century west tower has angle buttresses and a castellated parapet. The nave and chancel have plain pitched tiled roofs. The nave is of late 11th century origin, much altered in the 14th and early 15th century when the south wall of the nave was rebuilt, the west tower was added and the chancel was rebuilt. The north side of the nave is Norman with some Roman brick incorporated and a plain doorway. There is an early 19th century vestry and west gallery. Later in the 19th century the church was restored and the upper part of the south wall of the nave was rebuilt. The chief features of the church are the fine 14th and 17th century monuments. The 14th century monuments are two oak effigies of a man and a woman of around 1320. The woman in particular is of fine workmanship. They lie on two low tomb chests with quatrefoil decoration, set in low recesses with crocketed ogee arches. The 14th century piscina has a similar arch. There is a large recessed wall monument to Henry Mildmay of Graces dated 1639. It is in alabaster and black marble with a reclining figure between black marble columns carrying an open segmental pediment, with achievement of arms. On the north wall there is a large late 14th century wall painting (around 1370) depicting St Christopher. In the east window there is 14th century stained glass depicting St Michael and the Dragon also other mediaeval fragments. <13> Additional references <14> - <17>