Church of St Mary the Virgin, Little Dunmow (EHER 1244)

Parish church, former 14th century Lady Chapel of the conventual church of the Augustinian Priory of St Mary the Virgin, which was founded in 1106 and Dissolved in 1534. Excavations have recovered the plan of the church, and showed that the church was about 70.0m long, cruciform in shape with a central tower, and that the monastic buildings of which nothing remains above ground level, were to the south in an area now occupied by a council estate.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 1244, 1245, and 36836. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: Site of (NAT) Priory (NR) Augustinian Founded AD 1106 (NAT) Ch (NAT). <1> Priory of St Mary, Little Dunmow, was founded for Augustinian canons by Geoffrey Baynard in 1106. It was one of the earliest houses of the order in England. At its dissolution in 1534 there was a prior and ten canons. St Mary the Virgin Church was probably the Lady Chapel of the priory and is all that remains above ground of the priory; the conventual buildings and church were demolished soon after 1534. These monastic buildings lay south of the church. In 1913-14 the priory church was excavated. St Mary the Virgin church was partly rebuilt about 1370 and has 19th century alterations. Grade A. Parish church stands at the south end of the village. Walls are flint rubble and modern brick. Dressings are limestone and clunch. Presbytery and probably south transept rebuilt about 1190 when aisle added or rebuilt south of the presbytery and probably there was an aisle on the north side also. The north transept and chapels were rebuilt soon after. South aisle of presbytery rebuilt and widened, probably to form the lady chapel, about 1370 and the transeptal chapel adjoining on the south side was added or rebuilt at the same time. Early in the 16th century the tower over the crossing was rebuilt. South wall arcade of presbyter, east wall of south transept and part of the south east pier of the central tower also remain. A narrow north aisle was added to cover the arcade. Part of the foundation of the east wall of the presbytery was uncovered during the excavations and, a few feet to the west, 3 graves. Rough foundations of the north east and north west piers of the tower were uncovered during the excavations. At this time the bases of the early 13th century buttresses of the north west angle of the north transept were also found. Apparently, 2 chapels opened from the transept to adjoin the north angle of the presbytery. A considerable stretch of the transept's stone paving was also uncovered. 2 rough foundations marking the west and north walls were also found. Features and fittings: windows of about 1190, about 1370, 16th century, 15th century doorway, brasses of probably 15th and 16th centuries, chair with 13th century and later timber (back is 15th century) - known as the "Dunmow Flitch Chair", chest-part 15th century backed wood, coffin-lids of about 1300 and 13th century, font of 14th century and 2 fragments of a 12th century font bowl, mid and late 15th century monuments, effigies, tombs, niches of about 1370, piscina of 14th century, pulpit incorporates late 15th century panels, reredos of about 1370, much defaced, 2 14th century tiles, a 15th century scratched inscription, loose 13th-15th century architectural fragments in the church, fragments including part of a stone coffin in the churchyard, 10 traceried panel-heads, oak, from screen or bench ends, now incorporated in the communion rails, and a 15th century reading desk. Monastic buildings were south of the church but nothing remains above ground. A narrow north aisle was added to cover the arcade. Early in the 19th century the north aisle was removed and the arcade built up. Late in the 19th century the filling of the arcade was removed and a wall built up against the north face, the vestry was added and a slender turret built on the base of the remaining pier of the former tower. The church was also generally restored. The lower part of the east respond of the south arch of the central tower remains, it is early 16th century, but the upper part is late 16th century. On it is the 19th century brick turret. Features and fittings: brass of 16th century, window of 16th century, chest of 17th century, table of late 17th century, scratched inscription of 17th century. <2> - <4> Church of St Mary the Virgin. Parish Church. Formerly the Lady Chapel, 14th century, of the Augustinian Priory of St Mary the Virgin, founded by Geoffrey Baynard. It is all that now remains above ground, the rest being demolished after the Dissolution 1536. Grade I. During the 19th renovations the vestry was added and the church re-roofed. In the churchyard a group of 3 tombs to the Bull family is listed as representative of the various types in the churchyard, about 100ft from the north wall of the church. <5> "A curiously unbalanced building, but one of interest wherever one looks, and in addition of great architectural beauty in parts." In 1872 "a silly north-west turret" was added. A monument is of 1753. <6> February 1950. Field visit. A housing estate is being built across the northern end of the field in which the priory lay. No foundations have been revealed but the whole area has a scatter of thin tile and flint over the surface. At TL 65602120 a skeleton was found, during road construction, buried 0.5m deep. Nothing was associated with the remains. <7> <8> April 1975. Field visit. A detailed plan in the church, based on the 1913-14 excavations, show that the present St Mary's parish church, see photograph, was originally known as 'Lady Chapel' which was added to the south side of the chancel of the priory church in the 14th century. Of the 12th century priory church all that remains is part of the north and west walls of the present church, including the arcading between chancel and 'Lady Chapel', and fragments of the sedilia on the outside wall of the parish church. Excavations showed that the church was about 70.0m long, cruciform in shape with a central tower, and that the monastic buildings of which nothing remains above ground level, were to the south in an area now occupied by a council estate. <9> <10> October 1991. Watching brief. The church was visited with the architect Mr H. Rushton. Two test pits had been dug on the north side preliminary to the excavation of a dry area. One, located between the third and fourth lancet windows, had encountered medieval mortared flint foundations. This hole seem to be opposite on of the piers of the former arcade separating aisle and chancel. Inside the church, it can be seen that there may be masonry running off on the north side of these piers, which would seem to correspond with the foundations visible externally. It should be noted that the damp present in the north wall is probably caused by a blocked gulley at the bottom of the downpipe by this test pit, rather than by the difference in ground levels between the inside and outside of the church. <11> 1992. Watching brief. A watching brief on the construction of a drainage sump uncovered 0.1m topsoil over 0.45m dark humic soil with occasional flint and brick fragments. This in turn overlay the natural chalky boulder clay. This was cut by a pit or ditch filled with compacted gravel in a sand matrix with occasional brick fragments reported by the workmen. It is possible that this cut may relate to the medieval phase of the priory. However, no dating evidence was found. An area of brick flooring 2m north of the north-west corner of the vestry. This was not removed and are believed to be post-dissolution in date. <12> <13> 1994. Survey. Little can be done to manage the site within the country park, as the railway has destroyed the evidence of occupation, although the remains are visible from the park. As a tourist attraction it may be worthwhile erecting information boards showing the development and subsequent dissolution of the priory. This would require and accurate survey of the remains of the priory. Any purposed work on the Country park near this site should take into consideration the position of the banks that remain. <14> See also: <15> - <22>