Church of St Giles, Langford (EHER 7876)

An 11th/12th century parish church and thought to be the only one in the country with an original surviving west apse. It originally had east and west apses, but the east apse was demolished in the 14th/15th century and a square extension added to the chancel. It was extensively restored in around 1880 by Edward Browning, and the north aisle, south porch, and NE bell tower were added at this time. The plastered walls are made of flint rubble and puddingstone with limestone dressings. It has red plain tiled roofs and shingles to the bell turret.

Monument description derived from merging with EHER 7877 and EHER 38962: December 1959. Grade II* listed. An 11th/12th century parish church. The chancel and nave originally had east and west apses, but the east apse was demolished in the 14th/15th century and a square extension added to the chancel. In around 1880 extensive restorations were carried out by Edward Browning, including the addition of the north aisle, south porch, and NE bell tower. The church is built of flint rubble and puddingstone with a plastered finish and limestone dressings. The roofs are covered in red plain tile with stone coping to the gables, and there are shingles on the bell turret. The porch is gabled, on a stone plinth, and has timber supports. There is a clock above and bargeboards to the gable. The north doorway dates to around 1100 and there is a small reset window of the same date in the west wall. Other features include 13th century double piscina in the chancel with shouldered head and round drains; a 15th century restored and reset cinquefoil window; 15th century plain octagonal font; a stoup of uncertain date in the nave; carved panelling from around 1950 and carved and painted 19th century reredos; 19th century stained glass windows, circular stone pulpit and coloured floor tiles. Although heavily restored in the 19th century, the church is outstanding for the western apse is believed to be the only one surviving in Britain. <1> See photos <2> and <3>. The medieval church was situated at the junction of the Witham Road and Maldon Road. Roman tiles and bricks have been identified in the fabric of the church, however it is considered to have been built in the early Norman period. The walls are of flint and puddingstone rubble with limestone dressings. The roof is tiled and the bell turret shingled. The chancel and nave were built in the late 11th or early 12th century with apses both at the eastern and western ends; this was fairly common practice in village churches of the time. The western apse survives and retains three original leaded windows (from around 1100), each with a round-headed light. In the 14th or 15th century the eastern apse was pulled down and a square extension added to the Chancel. <4> The walls are flint and pudding-stone rubble with limestone dressings. The roofs are tile-covered. The chancel and nave were built in the 11th or early in the 12th century with apses at the east and west ends. In the 14th or 15th century the east apse was pulled down and a square extension added to the chancel. The chancel has no ancient details except some re-used stones in the internal string-course and the splays and rear-arches of the north and south windows. An external recess west of the south window shows the springing of the former apse - its lines are marked in the modern pavement inside the chancel. The modern north aisle has a 15th century window reset in the north wall and a window of around 1100 reset in the west wall. The nave has a modern north arcade. The south doorway is from around 1100, and the west apse has three windows from around 1100. Fittings include: font, probably 15th century; 13th century piscina; stoup of uncertain date. The church was drastically restored in the 19th century - the chancel was almost completely rebuilt and the north aisle, south porch and north east bell-turret were added. <5> <6> The west apse is the only surviving example in the country. Langford had an east apse also. The type is probably derived from Carolingian and Ottonian Germany. The apses at both ends were frequent but not for village churches. 'Thus, even internationally speaking, Langford was a great exception, and it is much to be regretted that the east apse did not survive the Middle Ages'. The only other Norman evidence is the plain south doorway. <7> Site Assessment: 'The church is of special interest for the almost unique west apse'. <5> Only church in the country with a surviving west apse. Once had two apses - probably the type derives from Germany, where such churches are frequent, but not in village churches. 'Thus, even internationally speaking, Langford was a great exception'. <7> 'Although heavily restored in the 19th century the church is outstanding for the western apse, believed to be the only one surviving in Britain'. <6> NRHE data transfer: St Giles's Church (C of E) (NAT). <8> July 1987. Field survey St Giles's Church (name confirmed) in normal use. Current resurvey depiction correct. <9> Norman apse, complete with three small windows. Restored 1880-2 by Edward Browning. <10> See also <11>.