Church Of All Saints

The Church of All Saints is a parish church constructed between the 13th and 15th centuries in the rural village of Rettendon, southeast of Chelmsford. It is a building of group value, representing a significant contribution to the local heritage.

The exterior is characterized by a fine ragstone west tower featuring a castellated parapet, diagonal buttresses, and an octagonal stair turret on the south-east. Its prominent position on high ground makes the tower a conspicuous landmark visible from a wide area. A south doorway, dating from around 1200, is the earliest feature, with the chancel rebuilt later in the same century. The north aisle and arcade, the north chapel, the north vestry or Priest's house, and the west tower were added in the 15th century. The roof is tiled and was renewed in the 20th century.

The north vestry is two stories high and has a late 15th-century doorway leading to the chancel. Interior fittings include a 13th-century piscina and sedilia in the chancel, poppy head bench ends decorated with carvings of a dog, lion, bear, and monkey, and a very fine 18th-century marble wall monument. This monument, dated 1727 and dedicated to Edmund Humfrey, fills the entire east wall of the north chapel. It consists of triple arches supported by fluted Corinthian columns and a central open semi-circular pediment with elaborate decorations, and was created by Samuel Chandler. It is considered one of the finest church monuments of its date. Brass memorial plates commemorate a civilian, his two wives and children (circa 1535), Richard Cannon of 1605, and Richard Humfrie of 1607.

Rettendon is a dispersed rural settlement mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. The church and the nearby Grade II listed Rettendon Old Hall are the most significant historic buildings in the area. The nave and chancel date to the 13th century, with the west tower, north aisle, arcade, and vestry added in the 15th century. A restoration in 1898 saw the replacement of the roof, and much of the church furniture dates to this period. Finials in the choir stalls and the backs of some choir benches appear to be 15th-century carvings, and are thought to have originally been part of a rood screen. The tower was refurbished in the early and later 20th centuries. Recent alterations include the creation of a kitchen area at the west end of the north aisle and the installation of disabled toilet facilities in the base of the tower.

All Saints church is a fine example of a modest English rural parish church with a remarkable survival of medieval fabric, including the tower and priest's chamber. It preserves significant medieval interior features such as the sedilia, piscina, and carvings. The marble Humfrey Monument of 1727, crafted by Samuel Chandler, is a noteworthy sculptural work of the early 18th century.