St Mary's Church, Wix facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's, Wix |
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St Mary's, showing the 13th-century arches on the north wall
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| 51°55′04″N 1°08′41″E / 51.91777°N 1.14462°E | |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | c. 1125 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 17 November 1966 |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 1 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Wix St Mary the Virgin |
| Diocese | Chelmsford |
St Mary's Church is an old church in the village of Wix, Essex, England. It's an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. This church is special because it's a Grade II listed building, meaning it's protected for its history and architecture. It used to be connected to a priory (a type of monastery) from the Middle Ages, but the church you see today was mostly built in the 1700s.
The Old Priory of St Mary
The Priory of St Mary was a Benedictine nunnery, a place where nuns lived and prayed. It was started around c. 1125. Three siblings, Walter Mascherell, Alexander de Wix, and Edith, founded it. Their father, Walter the Deacon, owned a lot of land in the area.
There was already a church on this spot since about c. 1050. The priory was never very big, usually having only about ten nuns. However, it was very important in the local area. The priory owned large amounts of land in Wix and the surrounding countryside. It even acted like a manor, which meant it had control over the local people who lived on its land. These people had to work for the priory as part of their agreement to live there.
The Peasants' Revolt and the Priory
By the time of the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, these rules caused problems. During the revolt, angry villagers attacked the priory. They destroyed the priory's records, which listed all the work they had to do.
After the revolt ended, the prioress (the head nun) made the people who caused trouble leave. She then made them pay a fine before they could return to their homes.
The priory kept going until the 1500s, but it became quite run down. In 1525, a powerful leader named Thomas Wolsey closed it down. This was part of a plan to close 30 small religious houses. The money from these closures helped pay for new schools, like The King's School, Ipswich and the famous Christ Church at Oxford University.
After the priory closed, most of its buildings were torn down. Only the church remained. If you visit the church today, you can still see parts of the old priory. The 13th-century arches on the church's north wall are all that's left. They are now blocked up, but they show where the priory once stood.
The Church's Later Years
The church was repaired and mostly rebuilt in 1744. It was then worked on again in 1888. Much of the original stone and rubble was replaced with brick during these repairs.
In 1966, the church was given "listed status." This means it's recognized as an important historical building and is protected.
The church has a special bell frame that stands on its own. It once held three bells, but now only one remains. This bell is very old, dating back to the 1400s. In 1975, someone tried to steal the bell. After that, the old bell frame was replaced with a new, stronger one.
