Ruins Of Old Chapel Of St Thomas A Becket

The ruins of a chapel dedicated to St Thomas a Becket were founded around 1221 by the Abbot of St Osyth, intended for the use of the abbey's tenants. The remaining walls are constructed of irregular ragstone and flint pebbles, incorporating blocks of indurated conglomerate, particularly in the lower courses. There has been repair work using thin tile courses. The original plan consisted of a rectangular nave and a smaller, rectangular chancel, now outlined by 20th-century dwarf brick walls. Only the lower part of the west end, along with the base of the tower in the northwest angle, and a small section of the north wall remain. The west doorway, and the north door adjacent to the tower, originally featured wave and double ogee mouldings divided by a cavetto. The two-centred tower arches on the east and south sides now have restored heads with residual plain chamfers, a cavetto, and reinstated outer wave mouldings. The west elevation has diagonal outer buttresses and two inner ones evenly spaced, retaining stone dressings with split flint panels. Inside the tower, the lower portion of a newel staircase is visible in the northwest angle, featuring a stair light through the west wall and an entry doorway with a four-centred arched head. A crease line indicating where the nave roof abutted the tower is evident on the tower's east face. The doorway mouldings suggest a rebuilding in the mid to late 14th century, with the tower, sharing similar mouldings, being added shortly thereafter. The presence of indurated conglomerate in the lower courses suggests an origin prior to 1221, a material commonly used in Norman-period Essex churches. It’s possible the 1221 foundation involved the re-dedication of an earlier building, or that a rebuild occurred then or in the 14th century, maintaining the nave’s plan but utilizing flint and ragstone for the upper, disturbed courses. The chapel remained in use until 1835, serving later as the Boys National School until 1869 when it was largely dismantled. A new chapel was built on the site of the present parish church in 1835, followed by the current church in 1881. The chapel is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument.