Sawbridgeworth Congregational Church

Sawbridgeworth Congregational Church stands on London Road. Built in 1862-3 by architects Poulton and Woodman of Reading, it opened in April 1863 as a combined church and schoolroom, with an extension added to the north in 1911.

The church is constructed in polychrome brick with bath stone dressings beneath a steep slate roof banded in two colours, executed in Early English style. The main building comprises a 5-bay church with a western apse housing the organ and an eastern gallery positioned above the entrance lobby. A buttressed square tower with a shingled spire rises prominently over the north-east corner. A lower vestry sits at the south-west next to the apse. An integral 4-bay schoolroom, set back on the north side, opens into the church through a 4-bay arcade. Original sliding screens that close off the schoolroom remain in use. A 2-storey brick extension to the north, linked by an arch, connects to a modern hall at the rear.

The east front of the church is divided into three parts, with the centre section flanked by narrow recessed elements. Yellow stock brick forms the main surface, with white brick plinths providing offsets. The gable features five polychrome bands in height, each of three courses of white brick alternating with a blue brick course above and below. A central quatrefoil datestone sits below a tall east window. The window itself features stone plate tracery with four lancets topped by a blind six-pointed star and a pyramid of three quatrefoils. A three-ring header arch in white brick crowns a stone arch, the outer ring displaying a blue header at every third brick. The gable terminates in steep stone copings, kneelers, and a trefoil finial. A louvred trefoil opening in the upper gable is sunk within stone infill that rises to a pointed arched top with segmental cill. The south-east porch projects to the plane of the centre and features steep stone copings, a two-centred pointed arch to its door, and stone dressings with a three-ring brick arch.

The north-east tower comprises four stages with paired buttresses running up two stages, linked by brick banding to the centre. The first and second stages have very narrow lancets; the fourth stage also has two lancets. A quatrefoil occupies a circular brick opening in the third stage. The fourth stage is diminished, with brick corbelling forming the base of the pyramid spire. The schoolroom, set back to the depth of the tower, has an east front that echoes the plinth and brick bands of the main church. Its polygonal-headed door stands on the right, with two small lancets rising to the church gallery stair positioned alongside. A large central window displays stone plate tracery of three quatrefoils recessed within an equilateral curved triangle beneath a polychrome brick arch. Above sits a small stone triangular vent with a stone coping. A plank door with decorative iron hinges provides entry. Diamond leaded glazing appears throughout the building.

The flanks of the church and schoolroom are articulated by plinths, polychrome brick bands, and buttresses with stone offsets. The first buttress on the south-east bears the inscription '18 AW 62' cut into brick. Brick eaves corbels run along the eaves line. Paired stone lancet windows with diamond leaded lights and pivoted metal opening sections in each left-hand light punctuate the sides.

The 1911 extension to the north is a 2-storey structure in stock brick with plum brick dressings. It features a stone coping to the front parapet and central gable, with kneelers completing the details. A recessed arch feature of two storeys occupies the centre, with three-light wooden casements and transoms to the ground floor windows. Rectangular leaded lights fill the openings. An elaborate foundation stone marks the extension.

Internally, the church arcade comprises four bays with paired columns resembling a cloister, each with 13th century-style floral joint capitals. A boarded dado with a top rail decorated with quatrefoils runs beneath. Stone corbels support an open timber roof of uniform scantling. A central raised pine pulpit stands decorated with dog-tooth arches and heavy bar mouldings. Old panelled pews serve as the dado in the schoolroom. A bath for adult immersion was installed beneath the dais in 1938.