Church of St Gregory and St George, Pentlow (EHER 8502)

12th century round towered church with later additions and alterations, including restoration about 1886. The walls are of flint and pebble rubble, with dressings of limestone and clunch, and the roofs are tiled. Plan of west tower, nave, apsidal chancel, north chapel, and south porch. Goode, using comparative evidence, dates the nave and chancel firmly to the period 950-1000, and adds that the tower was added in the Norman period, but other authorities find the Saxon attributes debateable, and the tower to be 12th or 14th century.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 8502, 8503, and 27888. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St George's Church (NAT). <1> Saxo-Norman material in the nave and apsidal chancel of the church consist of plain flint quoins at the western angles of the nave and at the south eastern angle of the straight south wall of the chancel. The rest of the church is 12th century date and later. <2> The apsidal chancel and nave were built in the middle of the 12th century. The north chapel and the west tower were added in the 14th century. Late in the 16th century or early in the 17th century the north chapel was rebuilt. The church was restored in the 19th century, when the south porch was added. The north chapel was almost entirely rebuilt about 1600, and has crow-stepped brick gables at the east and west ends. The west tower is round, and of three stages, undivided externally, the parapet is embattled. The roof of north chapel has a moulded wall-plate with billet ornament, of about 1600. <3> According to Rodwell, the nave and stilted apsidal chancel were Saxon or Saxon-Norman, although the apse may be an addition to a square chancel. The original west doorway is simple, but in front of this was added a 12th century moulding both were later covered in part by the addition of a Norman round tower (not 14th century, as often stated - this is the date of the upper parts). The original quoins are flint, which is a reasonably good indicator of a pre-Conquest date. The vaulted chapel is early 17th century. <4> Pevsner said that nave and chancel are Norman. The apse is completely preserved, with its three windows. As for the nave the west doorway survives. Pevsner described that the North Chaple was added to the chancel in the 16th century. The east window seems 15th century and may be re-used. <5> Parish church. 12th century with later alternations including about 1886 restorations. One of the six round towered churches in Essex. Flint rubble, stone dressed. Early 14th century crenelated west tower. North chapel rebuilt late 16th century of rendered brick with crow stepped gables. 19th century restorations when the south porch was added. Grade I. <6> 1990. Field visit During the re-roofing of the Victorian south porch the contractor discovered a medieval stone sundial within the roof space on the south nave wall above the entrance door. There are remains of an iron rod at the centre. <7> July 1976. Field survey. The church is basically Norman with a Saxon style door in the west wall of the Nave. The 'flint quoins' mentioned above do exist but could be of any date, and the walls themselves are of coursed, undressed stones. The tower is round with 14th century windows. See photos and church guide. <8> <9> See also: <10> - <13>