St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Bromley
Encyclopedia
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Bromley, is a redundant
Anglican
church near the village of Little Bromley
, Essex
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands to the south of the village, adjacent to Little Bromley Hall.
dates from the early 12th century. In the 14th century the chancel
was rebuilt. The lower stages of the tower date from the early 15th century, and its upper stage was rebuilt in the 16th century. Also in the 16th century the south porch was added. Restoration
s were carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries.
rubble
with stone dressings. Parts of the exterior have been plastered
. The upper stages of the tower are in red brick, and the roof is covered in plain red tiles. Its plan consists of a nave with a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. Rising from the north wall is a chimney stack. The tower is in three stages on a plinth
, with stepped angle buttress
es. To the south is a stair turret
. In the west wall is an arched 15th-century doorway, above which is a three-light window. The top stage contains a two-light bell opening in each face. The parapet
is crenellated
. The north wall of the nave contains, from the west, a 14th-century blocked doorway, a 12th-century round-headed window, and a three-light window with a segmental head. In the north wall of the chancel is a single lancet window
. The east end of the chancel is supported by angle buttresses. The east window has three lights, and to its left is a memorial plaque. The south wall of the chancel contains two windows and a doorway. In the south wall of the nave are a 15th-century three-light window, with a 12th-century round headed window on each side, that to the east being blocked. The south porch is timber framed
on a plinth, with windows in each wall. The arched south doorway to the church dates from the 14th century. Above it are the royal arms
of Hanover
.
ed roof stretches over the nave and the chancel. The interior of the nave is in Norman
style. In the nave is an oak pulpit
and a charity board dated 1806. The font
dates from the 15th or 16th century. It is octagonal with carvings on each side of the bowl; these represent the symbols of the four evangelists
interspersed with Tudor rose
s. Under the bowl is a soffit
carved with angels. The bowl is carried on a stem with four buttresses, standing on a chamfer
ed base. In the chancel is a 14th-century piscina
. The altar rails date from about 1700. The reredos
is panelled
and dates from about 1926. Also in the chancel is a memorial to the First World War. The stained glass in the north and south windows dates from the 20th century, and depicts Archbishop Laud
and Charles I
. At the west end of the church is a gallery with carvings of five shields of arms
. The gallery contains the single-manual
hand-pumped organ which is said to date from about 1820, made by W. G. Mack of Great Yarmouth
. The ring
consists of four bells. Two of these date from the period of about 1392–1418 and are said to have been cast by Robert Burford of London. The other two date from about 1898; they were made by Bowell and Son of Ipswich
to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church near the village of Little Bromley
Little Bromley
Little Bromley is a village and civil parish in the Tendring district of Essex. The name "Bromley" is Old English for "broomy wood/clearing". The village lies east northeast of Colchester and south of Manningtree. It is surrounded by the parishes of Lawford, Ardleigh, Great Bromley, Little...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands to the south of the village, adjacent to Little Bromley Hall.
History
The naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
dates from the early 12th century. In the 14th century the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was rebuilt. The lower stages of the tower date from the early 15th century, and its upper stage was rebuilt in the 16th century. Also in the 16th century the south porch was added. Restoration
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
s were carried out in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Exterior
The church is constructed in puddingstonePuddingstone (rock)
Puddingstone, also known as either Pudding stone or Plum-pudding stone, is a popular name applied to a conglomerate that consists of distinctly rounded pebbles whose colors contrast sharply with the color of the finer-grained, often sandy, matrix or cement surrounding them...
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
with stone dressings. Parts of the exterior have been plastered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
. The upper stages of the tower are in red brick, and the roof is covered in plain red tiles. Its plan consists of a nave with a south porch, a chancel, and a west tower. Rising from the north wall is a chimney stack. The tower is in three stages on a plinth
Plinth
In architecture, a plinth is the base or platform upon which a column, pedestal, statue, monument or structure rests. Gottfried Semper's The Four Elements of Architecture posited that the plinth, the hearth, the roof, and the wall make up all of architectural theory. The plinth usually rests...
, with stepped angle buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. To the south is a stair turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
. In the west wall is an arched 15th-century doorway, above which is a three-light window. The top stage contains a two-light bell opening in each face. The parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
is crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
. The north wall of the nave contains, from the west, a 14th-century blocked doorway, a 12th-century round-headed window, and a three-light window with a segmental head. In the north wall of the chancel is a single lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
. The east end of the chancel is supported by angle buttresses. The east window has three lights, and to its left is a memorial plaque. The south wall of the chancel contains two windows and a doorway. In the south wall of the nave are a 15th-century three-light window, with a 12th-century round headed window on each side, that to the east being blocked. The south porch is timber framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
on a plinth, with windows in each wall. The arched south doorway to the church dates from the 14th century. Above it are the royal arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
of Hanover
Kingdom of Hanover
The Kingdom of Hanover was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna, with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after the Napoleonic era. It succeeded the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , and joined with 38 other sovereign states in the German...
.
Interior
A barrel vaultBarrel vault
A barrel vault, also known as a tunnel vault or a wagon vault, is an architectural element formed by the extrusion of a single curve along a given distance. The curves are typically circular in shape, lending a semi-cylindrical appearance to the total design...
ed roof stretches over the nave and the chancel. The interior of the nave is in Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
style. In the nave is an oak pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
and a charity board dated 1806. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 15th or 16th century. It is octagonal with carvings on each side of the bowl; these represent the symbols of the four evangelists
Four Evangelists
In Christian tradition the Four Evangelists are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the authors attributed with the creation of the four Gospel accounts in the New Testament that bear the following titles:*Gospel according to Matthew*Gospel according to Mark...
interspersed with Tudor rose
Tudor rose
The Tudor Rose is the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and takes its name and origins from the Tudor dynasty.-Origins:...
s. Under the bowl is a soffit
Soffit
Soffit , in architecture, describes the underside of any construction element...
carved with angels. The bowl is carried on a stem with four buttresses, standing on a chamfer
Chamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed base. In the chancel is a 14th-century piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. The altar rails date from about 1700. The reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
is panelled
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
and dates from about 1926. Also in the chancel is a memorial to the First World War. The stained glass in the north and south windows dates from the 20th century, and depicts Archbishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
and Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
. At the west end of the church is a gallery with carvings of five shields of arms
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
. The gallery contains the single-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
hand-pumped organ which is said to date from about 1820, made by W. G. Mack of Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth, often known to locals as Yarmouth, is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It is at the mouth of the River Yare, east of Norwich.It has been a seaside resort since 1760, and is the gateway from the Norfolk Broads to the sea...
. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of four bells. Two of these date from the period of about 1392–1418 and are said to have been cast by Robert Burford of London. The other two date from about 1898; they were made by Bowell and Son of Ipswich
Ipswich
Ipswich is a large town and a non-metropolitan district. It is the county town of Suffolk, England. Ipswich is located on the estuary of the River Orwell...
to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.