The Grand Tour!
The
first stone church was built in 1066 by the request of Ralph de
Peverell, the son of William the Conqueror. It was rectangular,
measuring 40 ft by 20 ft, extending from the screen to where the
font is now. There was a single, west, door and two small windows
which still exist today - one by the north door, and traces of
the second which can be seen from the outside, just above the porch.
Inside, this one has been covered by Victorian plaster. The
first extension to the church was in the 14th Century under the direction
of the first rector, and was extended further after part of the chancel
collapsed. This gave an opportunity for a small round tower to be
built which enclosed a spiral staircase. Its function was so that
Priests could take the Bread and Wine to the top of the Rood Screen
where the congregation could see it being consecrated. The small
tower was removed during the 1586 restoration. Just
inside the main door is the stone font; a piece of Late Norman-Early
English work. It was carved during the early 13th Century when
King John I was signing the Magna Carta. An illustration in
the British Museum describes the font as the finest of it kind
in Essex.
It measures 26 inches square by 20 inches deep, and is decorated
with floral carvings, each of the four sides being different. In
1926, a Holy water stoup was discovered in the rectory gardens.
It has been dated as 12th Century, making it a pre-reformation
relic; a time when the church was under Papal jurisdiction. It
is on display on the
sill of the southwest window. Having
entered the church, look east to see the Rood Screen which separates
the congregation from the choir and chancel. The present screen
is fashioned from oak and dates back to the 15th Century when King
James I (1603-24) was patron of this Church. The screen was then
much wider than it is now with carvings and guilding added to the
upper beam. These were removed in 1840 when the Chancel was restored
and the screen moved to its present position. Further restoration
to the screen was carried out in 1867. Now,
turning so the screen is behind you, you find yourself facing the
west wall and the organ pipes. The present organ was installed
in 1959 with the console located in the Chancel. The original organ
of 1850 was installed in the tower arch (where the pipes are now),
but has since been moved to a stone platform projecting from the
chancel. Incidentally, the parish magazine form May 1869 describes
the organ as a "grand and powerful instrument". The
two pictures either side of the pipes depict Moses and Aaron and
were painted in 1643. Under
the Tower Arch is the door to the belfry...
