St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Bromley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Bromley |
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St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Bromley, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | TM 092 278 |
| Location | Little Bromley, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | / The Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 17 November 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Puddingstone with some red brick Red tiled roof |
St Mary the Virgin's Church is an old Anglican church located near the village of Little Bromley in Essex, England. It is a very important historical building. The church is listed as a Grade II* building, which means it's considered especially important. The Churches Conservation Trust now takes care of it. You can find the church just south of the village, right next to Little Bromley Hall.
Contents
The Church's Story: A Look Back in Time
The main part of the church, called the nave, was built a very long time ago, in the early 1100s. Later, in the 1300s, the chancel (the area around the altar) was rebuilt. The lower parts of the church tower were added in the early 1400s. The top part of the tower was rebuilt in the 1500s. Also in the 1500s, a small entrance area called the south porch was added. Over the years, especially in the 1800s and 1900s, the church was repaired and updated. This is often called a "restoration."
Understanding the Church's Design
Outside the Church: Materials and Features
The church is built mostly from a type of rock called puddingstone. This stone is mixed with other small stones, like rubble. Some parts of the outside walls have been covered with plaster. The upper sections of the tower are made from red brick. The roof is covered with flat red tiles.
The church's shape includes a main hall (the nave) with a porch on the south side. It also has the chancel and a tower at the west end. On the north wall, you can see a chimney. The tower has three main levels and strong supports called buttresses. There's a small staircase tower on the south side. The main entrance on the west side is an arched doorway from the 1400s. Above it is a window with three sections. The very top of the tower has two-part openings for bells on each side. The top edge of the tower looks like the top of a castle wall, with square shapes.
On the north wall of the nave, there's an old doorway from the 1300s that is now blocked up. There's also a round-topped window from the 1100s and a three-part window with a curved top. The north wall of the chancel has a single, narrow window. The east end of the chancel has strong corner supports. The east window has three sections, and a memorial plaque is next to it. The south wall of the chancel has two windows and a doorway. On the south wall of the nave, there's a three-part window from the 1400s. On each side of it, there's a round-topped window from the 1100s, though the one on the east side is blocked. The south porch is made of wood on a stone base, with windows in its walls. The arched south doorway into the church is from the 1300s. Above it, you can see the royal coat of arms from the time of Hanover.
Inside the Church: Art and Furnishings
Both the nave and the chancel have a curved ceiling that looks like the inside of a barrel. The inside of the nave shows the simple, strong style of Norman architecture. In the nave, you'll find a wooden pulpit (where sermons are given) and a board from 1806 that lists donations to charity.
The baptismal font (a basin for baptisms) is from the 1400s or 1500s. It has eight sides, and each side of the bowl has carvings. These carvings show symbols of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) mixed with Tudor roses (a famous English symbol). Under the bowl, there are carvings of angels. The bowl sits on a central support with four smaller supports, all on a shaped base.
In the chancel, there's a special basin called a piscina from the 1300s, used for washing sacred vessels. The rails around the altar are from around 1700. The reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) is made of wood panels and was added around 1926. There is also a memorial in the chancel for those who served in the First World War.
The stained glass in the north and south windows was added in the 1900s. It shows pictures of Archbishop Laud and King Charles I. At the west end of the church, there's a balcony called a gallery. It has carvings of five shields with family symbols. The gallery holds a special hand-pumped organ. This organ is thought to be from about 1820 and was made by W. G. Mack in Great Yarmouth. The church also has a set of four bells. Two of these bells are very old, from between 1392 and 1418, and were likely made by Robert Burford of London. The other two bells are from around 1898. They were made to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee, which was 50 years of her being queen.
Remembering the Past: External Features
In the churchyard, there is a special grave cared for by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It is the resting place of a soldier from the Royal Artillery who died during World War II.
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