Church of St Mary the Virgin, Stebbing (EHER 1314)

This parish church mainly dates to about 1360, and the late 14th to early 16th century with later restorations. The walls are mainly of flint rubble with clunch and shelly oolite dressings, and some bricks. The roofs are lead and grey slate to aisles and red plain tile to the chancel. The church comprises of the west tower, nave with crenelated clerestory, north and south aisles also crenelated, and south porch, chancel with north vestry.

Monument description derived from merging EHER 1314, 1361, 1362, 1363, and 36515. Original HER entry merged with NRHE data import: St Mary's Church (C of E) (NAT). <1> Priest recorded here in Domesday Book, 1066. <2> Church of St Mary the Virgin, Grade A. The whole church dates from about 1360 with some late 19th century restoration. At south end of village. Walls are of flint rubble covered with plaster. Dressings are shelly oolite and clunch. Whole church-chancel, north vestry, nave, north and south aisles, west tower, south porch-built c1360. Stairs to roof loft and south-east stair turret are 15th century. South porch altered in 16th century when the walls were raised in brick. Features and fittings: windows of 14th century, about 1360, late 14th century, 15th century, doorways of about 1360, 15th or 16th centuries, late 15th or early 16th centuries, chancel roof of about 1500, fragment of moulded 14th century wall-plates in vestry roof, nave roof is early 16th century, brasses and indents of about 1390, late 14th century, 14th or 15th centuries, niche of 16th century, chest probably 16th century, font of the 15th century, glass of 14th and late 14th century, traces of 14th century painting, early 16th century reredos (remains of), piscinae of 14th century, sedilia of 14th century, stoup of the early 16th century, stone rood screen in the chancel arch of c1360 (recently extensively restored), two stone fragments with grotesque figures, from screen, in chancel, loose. Late in the 19th century the church was partly restored, 'recently' screen extensively restored, south porch was altered in the 16th century when the walls were raised in brick. Brasses of 1608, 1609, chair of 1700, communion table and rails, all early 18th century, monuments and floor slabs of 17th and 18th century, paintings of late 16th century, illegible, coffin stool of mid 17th century, table of about 1700. <3> "Entirely a 14th century church, and perhaps rather earlier than about 1360, the date suggested by the Royal Commission". Window tracery, sedilia, piscina, don't look later than Decorated, no Perpendicular features apparent. Stone screen is the one distinguishing and most effective feature of the church. May be a little earlier than about 1350. <4> Large, aisled nave, chancel and west tower, all 14th century, not of one build. An unusual item in the churchyard is an inscribed coffin lid, 1683. <5> Some bricks in walls. Three stage west tower with timber spire. Clerestory inserted in early 16th century when nave roof was raised. 15th century chancel roof. Chest of 15th-16th centuries, font of 16th century, stoup probably 16th century, 16th century reredos. 19th-20th century doorways and windows. Clock in west tower about 200yrs old. (RCHM 1). Grade I. <6> Medieval sherds found at the church. <7> Plan of features. <8> 1985. Watching brief. Ground disturbance associated with improvements to the central heating system revealed several features against the internal face of the south wall of the chancel. Two phases were visible of the chancel arch's foundation, the latter was extended in the 17th century rebuilding of the chancel arch. Line of foundation trench was observed in section. Foundation trench of chancel south wall visible. Small patch of flint-rubble appeared to be levelling-up at the west end of the chancel before a brown silt-clay floor was laid. Three features were cut into this earth floor-a roughly triangular hole, a circular post hole and a smaller, square stake hole. Features were probably related to the construction of the chancel. In the northern half of the area the deposits cut away by post medieval vaults. <9> Photos of 1985 ground disturbance. <10> 2003. Excavation. Area in front of the south porch was excavated in 2003. Trees and a flint wall were removed. Charnel was common amongst the spoil. Grave cuts could be seen in the deeper excavations. 14th/15th century pottery and post-medieval pottery was recovered. <11> 2003. Photography. Four internal exposures of the church detailing roof, screen, tower and toilet. <12> 2014. Watching brief. Archaeological monitoring on drainage works in 2014 identified a minimum of six graves in three separate trenches. One smashed grave monument of the 19th century was identified. A single coin of George I was recovered. <13> Site Assessment = A fine example of 14th century work, stone chancel screen is noteworthy, is to be compared with the one at Great Bardfield. The interior is one of the best and the tri-partite chancel screen is an outstanding survival. Externally run-down appearance, the crumbly rendering being removed and masonry pointed. Replacement of dressings with imitation stone to be regretted. External ground level high on the south, there is an open drain about 1m deep, largely choked with vegetation. Internally floors need relaying. Much of stonework is heavily masked by limewash, there are fragmentary remains of mural paintings-need to search for more before any internal decoration. Tower badly cracked, needs repair, many of chancel. Graveyard not noteworthy. See also: <14> - <18>