St Mary's Church, Lawford facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Lawford |
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St Mary's Church, Lawford, from the west
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| OS grid reference | TM 089,316 |
| Location | Church Hill, Lawford, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Mary, Lawford |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 17 November 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint, septaria and brick, with limestone dressings Tiled roof |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Lawford |
| Deanery | Harwich |
| Archdeaconry | Colchester |
| Diocese | Chelmsford |
St Mary's Church is a historic building located on Church Hill in Lawford, Essex, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it's a place where people still worship today. The church is very important because it's listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's a building of special architectural or historical interest.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church has a long and interesting past. Some parts of the church, like the south wall, are incredibly old. They were built around the year 1200 or even earlier!
Building Over Time
- Around 1340, the main part of the church (called the chancel), the south entrance, and the first tower were built.
- The tower was rebuilt two times, once in the 1500s and again in the 1600s.
- In 1826, a new wall and a side section (called the north aisle) were added.
- In 1853, the inside of the chancel was updated. This work was done by an architect named E. G. Paley.
- More updates happened in 1864 for the main part of the church (the nave) and in 1887 for the chancel walls.
- During World War II, in 1944, a bomb damaged the church's east window.
- In 1991, a new section was added to the north side. This part holds rooms for meetings and a vestry (a room where clergy prepare).
- The church's roof and tower were repaired in 2009. Some parts of the inside were also made more modern.
Architecture and Features
St Mary's Church is built from different materials like flint, septaria (a type of rock), and brick. It has limestone decorations and a tiled roof.
Inside the Church
- The church has a main area (the nave), a side section (north aisle), and a chancel.
- There's also a north vestry and a tower with a small stair turret.
- Inside the chancel, you can see a piscina and a triple sedilia. These are old stone features used in churches.
- The pulpit, where sermons are given, is shaped like an octagon and was made around 1906.
- The church used to have a large pipe organ installed in 1906.
- In 2005, this was replaced with a newer electronic organ.
- The church has three bells that ring. They were made in 1667, 1714, and 1907.
Churchyard and Notable Graves
The churchyard around St Mary's Church is a peaceful place. It's also the final resting place for some interesting people.
- The famous war poet Robert Nichols is buried here. His father, John Bowyer Buchanan Nichols, who was also a poet, is buried nearby.
- A Canadian politician named John Robertson is also buried in the churchyard.
- You can also find the war graves of one soldier and two airmen from the Second World War.
