St Mary's Church, Mundon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Mundon |
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The tower and belfry of St Mary's Church, Mundon
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 St Mary's Church, Mundon
Location in Essex
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| 51°41′28″N 0°43′06″E / 51.6912°N 0.7182°E | |
| OS grid reference | TL 880 027 |
| Location | Mundon, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 1 November 1953 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Nave plastered stone rubble, chancel brick, aisle timber-framed, belfry weatherboarded, red tile roofs |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary the Virgin, Maldon with Mundon |
| Deanery | Maldon and Dengie |
| Archdeaconry | Southend |
| Diocese | Chelmsford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church is an old Anglican church in the village of Mundon, Essex, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, which means it is a redundant church. This special building is protected as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important to history. A group called the Friends of Friendless Churches helps to look after it.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
The oldest parts of St Mary's Church were built in the 1300s. The church stands inside a moated area, which was once part of Mundon Hall. This suggests that an even older church might have been here before.
Some people think there was a church on this spot as far back as the Anglo-Saxon times. This is because it's located on St Peter's Way, an old path for pilgrims (people on a religious journey) heading to St Peter's Chapel, Bradwell. Also, the church used to have a font (a basin for baptisms) that was about 800 years old.
The church's tower, with its wooden belfry (where bells are kept), was built in the 1500s. Around 1600, a north porch was added to the church.
Challenges and Restoration
By 1684, the church was in poor condition and needed repairs. Over the next 100 years, it was rebuilt using bricks on its original foundations.
In the 1800s and 1900s, fewer people lived in the area around the church. This meant the church building started to fall apart again. During the Second World War, it was even damaged by a V-bomb explosion.
After the war, some repairs were done, but church services were held elsewhere. In 1974, the church's local area (its parish) was moved to St Mary's in Maldon.
Saving the Church
In 1975, a charity called the Friends of Friendless Churches took over the care of St Mary's. They have a very long lease for the church, lasting 999 years!
Since the charity took over, a lot of repair and conservation work has been done. They even received a large grant of £140,000 from English Heritage to help with the work.
Since September 2009, the church has been open for visitors to explore. An annual service is still held there once a year.
Architecture and Inside the Church
The church has a main area called the nave, with a porch on the north side. It also has a chancel (the part of the church near the altar) and a tower that holds a belfry. Around the tower, there's a semi-octagonal (half eight-sided) aisle.
Building Materials
The nave is built from stone rubble (rough stones) covered in stucco (a type of plaster). The chancel is made of brick. The aisle around the tower is timber-framed (made with a wooden frame). The belfry is covered in weatherboarded (overlapping wooden boards). All the roofs are made of red tiles.
Inside Features
Inside St Mary's Church, you can see a complete set of 18th-century box pews. These are like individual wooden boxes where families used to sit during services. There's also an 18th-century octagonal (eight-sided) pulpit (where the preacher stands).
On the walls of the chancel, you'll find paintings from the 1700s. These show the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and other religious texts. Above the east window, there's a special mural (wall painting). It looks like curtains are being pulled open, with hanging tassels. This is a rare example of trompe l'oeil in a rural church, which is a French term meaning "deceive the eye." It makes a flat painting look like it's three-dimensional!
