St Mary the Virgin's Church, Stansted Mountfitchet
Encyclopedia
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Stansted Mountfitchet, is a redundant
Anglican
church near the village of Stansted Mountfitchet
, 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
. It stands about 1 miles (1.6 km) to the southeast of the village in the grounds of Stansted Hall. The church has been listed because of its "historical value and internal features".
was extended towards the east, and a chapel was added to the north side of the church. The west tower was added in 1692. The church was extensively restored
in 1888 by Francis T. Dollman, at which time the nave
and the aisle
were rebuilt. A chapel of ease
dedicated
to Saint John the Evangelist
was built in 1889 nearer the centre of the village. This church is now the parish church
of Stansted Mountfitchet. St Mary's remains consecrated
and is used for occasional services and other events.
and stone, and the tower is in brick. The chancel arch and the north and south doorways survive from the original building, and are in Norman
style. The chancel arch is decorated with zigzag and ball flower
carving. The doorways are similar and each has three orders of columns with scalloped capitals
and saltire
decoration. The tympanum
in each doorway is decorated with diapering
.
The font
dates from the 13th century, and its ogee
-shaped cover from the 17th century. The communion rail is from the 18th century. The monuments include the stone effigy
of a knight in armour lying in a recess with his legs crossed. It is said to be a memorial to Roger de Lancaster who died in 1310. The other significant monuments date from the 17th century. The monument to Sir Thomas Middleton consists of a recumbent effigy lying on a sarcophagus
under a coffer
ed arch carried on black marble
Corinthian
columns. The other is an altar tomb to Hester Middleton who died in 1614, again with a recumbent figure on a sarcophagus. Hester was either the wife, or the daughter of Sir Thomas.
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 Stansted Mountfitchet
Stansted Mountfitchet
Stansted Mountfitchet is a village and civil parish in the county of Essex, England, near the Hertfordshire border, north of London. According to the 2001 census it had a population of 5,533. The village is served by Stansted Mountfitchet railway station....
, 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...
. It stands about 1 miles (1.6 km) to the southeast of the village in the grounds of Stansted Hall. The church has been listed because of its "historical value and internal features".
History
The church was built between 1120 and 1124 by William Mountfitchet and still retains some features from that time. In the 13th century the chancelChancel
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 extended towards the east, and a chapel was added to the north side of the church. The west tower was added in 1692. The church was extensively restored
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...
in 1888 by Francis T. Dollman, at which time the nave
Nave
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...
and the aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
were rebuilt. A chapel of ease
Chapel of ease
A chapel of ease is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently....
dedicated
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church or other sacred building. It also refers to the inscription of books or other artifacts when these are specifically addressed or presented to a particular person. This practice, which once was used to gain the patronage and support of...
to Saint John the Evangelist
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
was built in 1889 nearer the centre of the village. This church is now the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of Stansted Mountfitchet. St Mary's remains consecrated
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
and is used for occasional services and other events.
Architecture
St Mary's is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and stone, and the tower is in brick. The chancel arch and the north and south doorways survive from the original building, and are 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. The chancel arch is decorated with zigzag and ball flower
Ball flower
The ball-flower is an architectural ornament in the form of a ball inserted in the cup of a flower, which came into use in the latter part of the 13th, and was in great vogue in the early part of the 14th century. It is generally placed in rows at equal distances in the hollow of a moulding,...
carving. The doorways are similar and each has three orders of columns with scalloped capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
and saltire
Saltire
A saltire, or Saint Andrew's Cross, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter ex . Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on such a cross....
decoration. The tympanum
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
in each doorway is decorated with diapering
Diapering
Diaper is any of a wide range of decorative patterns used in a variety of works of art, such as stained glass, heraldic shields, architecture, silverwork etc. Its chief use is in the enlivening of plain surfaces.-Etymology:...
.
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 13th century, and its ogee
Ogee
An ogee is a curve , shaped somewhat like an S, consisting of two arcs that curve in opposite senses, so that the ends are parallel....
-shaped cover from the 17th century. The communion rail is from the 18th century. The monuments include the stone effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of a knight in armour lying in a recess with his legs crossed. It is said to be a memorial to Roger de Lancaster who died in 1310. The other significant monuments date from the 17th century. The monument to Sir Thomas Middleton consists of a recumbent effigy lying on a sarcophagus
Sarcophagus
A sarcophagus is a funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone. The word "sarcophagus" comes from the Greek σαρξ sarx meaning "flesh", and φαγειν phagein meaning "to eat", hence sarkophagus means "flesh-eating"; from the phrase lithos sarkophagos...
under a coffer
Coffer
A coffer in architecture, is a sunken panel in the shape of a square, rectangle, or octagon in a ceiling, soffit or vault...
ed arch carried on black marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
columns. The other is an altar tomb to Hester Middleton who died in 1614, again with a recumbent figure on a sarcophagus. Hester was either the wife, or the daughter of Sir Thomas.