Borley Church facts for kids
Borley Church is a historic church located in the small village of Borley, in Essex, England. It serves as the main church for the local area, which is part of the larger Church of England group of churches. The church is very special because it is a Grade I Listed building. This means it is considered to be of "exceptional interest" and is protected. People often visit to see its unique topiary walk, which features bushes shaped like interesting figures, and a large monument dedicated to Sir Edward Waldegrave and his wife. Sir Edward was an important advisor to Queen Mary I.
What is Borley Church Like?
The church building is quite old and made of stone. Its main part, called the nave, might even date back to the 11th century, which is over 900 years ago! Over time, parts of the church were updated, especially between the mid-14th and 16th centuries. This gave it a style known as Perpendicular Gothic, which you can still see in the chancel (the area around the altar) and the tall tower at the west end.
The church has a chancel, a nave, a south porch, and a tower with a fancy top called "crenellated" (like a castle wall). Inside the tower are three bells. Two of these bells were made in 1926, and one is much older, from 1574! They hang in their original wooden frame.
Leading up to the church porch is a special path called a topiary walk. It used to have bushes shaped like Indian chess pieces. The path itself was once made of flat stones, but in 2017, a new brick path was installed. This new path makes it easier for people using wheelchairs to visit the church.
Important People and Monuments
After the year 1545, King Henry VIII gave the land around Borley to Sir Edward Waldegrave. Sir Edward became a knight in 1553 when Queen Mary was crowned. He was an important person in Queen Mary's government and even helped manage her clothes and belongings as the Master of the Wardrobe.
Inside the church, you can find several tombs and monuments. One large monument, about 14 feet tall, honors Sir Edward Waldegrave and his wife, Lady Frances Waldegrave. Their full-size marble figures lie beneath a grand structure supported by six pillars. There are also memorials for other important people connected to the church, including two rectors (church leaders) from the 1800s, John Philip Herringham and his son William Herringham.
Is Borley Church Haunted?
Borley Church is famous for being a place where strange things are said to happen. While it's not as well-known for hauntings as the nearby Borley Rectory (a house that was once very famous for ghost stories), some people claim to have experienced unusual events here. These include hearing "phantom organ music" or "ghostly chanting." Some even say they have seen the ghost of a nun moving around the churchyard.
Many of these ghost stories are linked to a legend about a Benedictine monastery that supposedly existed in the area long ago. The legend tells of a monk from this monastery who fell in love with a nun from a nearby convent. Their forbidden love was discovered, and they were severely punished. The monk was put to death, and the nun was separated from the world.
In the 1970s, famous paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren visited Borley Church. They had heard reports of bells ringing by themselves late at night and a ghostly monk leaving mysterious messages on the church walls. The Warrens and their team explored the church and its graveyard. They claimed to have seen the ghostly nun in the cemetery and then inside the church, walking through the aisles as if she were praying.
