Parish Church Of St Mary The Virgin

Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

This parish church on Chigwell High Road dates from the 12th century, with alterations made in the 15th century and major extensions in the 19th century. The original 12th-century structure comprises the nave and chancel, built of flint rubble with cement render and limestone dressings, and roofed with handmade red clay tiles. The 19th-century additions are of exposed flint rubble with limestone dressings, roofed with machine-made red clay tiles. The bell-turret is timber-framed and weatherboarded, while the spire is timber-framed and covered with lead.

In the 15th century, a north arcade and north aisle were constructed, and a bell-turret was added at the west end of the nave. During major works in 1886, the north aisle was demolished and a new nave built on its site. The former nave became the south aisle, and the former chancel became the south chapel. The present chancel, organ chamber, and south porch all date from this 1886 rebuilding.

The south chapel, substantially of late 19th-century date, retains one arch in its north wall forming the easternmost bay of the 15th-century north arcade. It has an east window of three lights with cinquefoil tracery in a 2-centred arch, and two south windows of two lights in similar style. The roof is of seven cants.

The south aisle (formerly the nave) contains a late 15th-century arcade of four bays with 2-centred arches. The piers are moulded with four attached shafts each, moulded capitals and bases, and the responds have attached half-piers. Three windows are set in the south wall: the easternmost, dating from around 1400, comprises two cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a 2-centred head, though mostly plastered; the second is a 19th-century window of similar style; the third is of 12th-century origin but has been widened and altered to two 4-centred lights, mainly in the 19th century. Further west is the 12th-century doorway with a semi-circular arch of four orders, the outer order decorated with chevron ornament. The innermost order forms a tympanum with lozenge pattern over a lower arch of segmental form. The jambs each have a free shaft with cushion capital and recut base. East of the south doorway stands a stoup with round head and chamfered jambs ending in broach stops. In the west wall is a window of three pointed lights in a segmental-pointed head with moulded label, probably 15th-century, though mainly plastered.

The 15th-century bell-turret in the west end stands on four posts with two tiebeams and chamfered arch braces below, with vertical spandrel-struts. The sides feature intricate crossed tension bracing in the upper stages. Four additional posts have been inserted to support the base of the spire. This structure predates the north arcade, which terminates immediately east of it.

The roof of the former nave spans three bays, with the bell-turret forming a fourth. It features moulded tiebeams (restored), cross-quadrate crownposts each with four braces, collar-braces (soulaces), and ashlar-pieces to every rafter couple. The wallplates rest on hollow-moulded stone cornices. The bays are irregular and independent of those of the north arcade. This roof appears to predate the bell-turret but to have been condensed in length when the turret was inserted in the 15th century. It may date from around 1400 or earlier.

The present chancel of 1886 has an east window of five lights with cinquefoil tracery in a 2-centred head with internal moulded label. Each wall contains a smaller window of two lights in similar style and a moulded 2-centred arch (opening into the north organ chamber and south chapel respectively). The reredos is carved alabaster in three panels with cinquefoil tracery. The roof is of four cants, richly painted and gilt. The chancel arch is 2-centred, resting on semi-octagonal corbels with foliate carving.

The nave of 1886 has in its north wall three windows of two lights, two windows of three lights, and one window of one light, with the west window comprising four lights. All are uniform in style with those of the chancel. The roof spans five bays with arch-braced collars and side purlins, featuring cinquefoil tracery above the collars.

Photographs preserved in the church, reproduced in historical records, show the former nave before the 1886 alterations. The principal difference is that two large galleries, since removed, were then present.

The church contains a notable collection of monuments and memorials. In the chancel is a brass of Samuel Harsnett, Archbishop of York, dated 1631, depicting a bearded figure in mitre, cape and rochett, holding a book and crosier, with foot and marginal inscriptions and four shields of arms, evangelists with their symbols and cherub-heads. In the nave is a brass recording the benefactions of Robert Rampston, dated 1585. The south chapel contains a wall-monument to Thomas Colshill, dated 1595, and his wife Mary (Crayford), dated 1599, showing kneeling figures of the man, wife, and two daughters at a prayer-desk, with side pilasters, entablature and urns (a shield of arms formerly recorded by the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments is now missing). The nave also contains wall-monuments to George Scott, dated 1683, and his wife Elizabeth (Cheyne), dated 1705; Martin Capron, dated 1715; George Scott, dated 1780; Robert Bodle, dated 1785; and James Hatch, dated 1806. The south aisle has floor-slabs to Sarah (Abdy), wife of John Penington, dated 1690; John Penington, dated 1702; and Ann Pelling, dated 1712, the latter two with shields of arms. On the north wall of the nave is a brass plate to George Shillibeer, 1797–1866, who introduced the London omnibus in 1836.