Description

TL 80 NW WOODHAM WALTER CHURCH HILL

3/178 Church of St. Michael

30.12.59

- 11*

Parish Church. Circa 1563, consecrated 1564, for Thomas, Earl of Sussex with
much re-used materials including C14 Nave and Chancel roof structures, north
arcade columns C15 north aisle roof structure, circa 1400 font etc; with circa
1879 restorations. Red brick with limestone dressings. Red plain tiled roofs,
shingle spire. Chancel, Nave, North Vestry and North Aisle, C19 north porch,
C19 belfry. Crow stepped gables to Nave and Chancel, North Aisle and Vestry
and crenellated north porch. No division between Nave and Chancel but a lower
roof level to Chancel, wall buttress at this point. Buttresses to south east,
north east and north west angles. North Vestry, restored east window of 2
lights under a square head, moulded label over, Chancel C19 east window of 3
lights, with reticulated tracery over in a 2 centre arched head. South wall has
a blocked 4 centre headed doorway to the east and two windows under square
heads, that to east of 2 cusped lights, the other similar of 3 lights. To west
of the windows is the chamfered round headed doorway. The north window of the
Nave of 3 cusped lights under square head with label. The timber west window of
the north porch is of 2 cusped lights. North aisle, west window of 2 cusped
lights under a segmental pointed head with label. 3 cusped 3 light windows
under segmental heads with labels to north wall and north doorway with moulded
jambs, 4 centre arched head, moulded labels and carved shields to spandrels.
Vertically boarded door, nailed and with strap hinges. 3 light sounding louvres
to north and south faces of the shingled spire. 1914/1918 commemorative clock
to apex of west gable of the Nave. Interior. Chancel and Nave roofs of 7 cants
with moulded wall plates. Moulded tie beams to Nave. Bell turret with arched
braces to western support columns. Chancel with carved wall panels by Chilton
Newburn 1901-4. Altar rails of 4 wrought iron columns with tracery and moulded
wooden rail. Carved choir stalls. North Vestry doorway with moulded 2 centre
arched head, door of 3 vertical boards, nailed and with strap hinges. Above
this door a red and black panel inscribed JP 1563. C19 square stone pulpit with
quatrefoiled panels. North aisle of 3 bays with moulded and chamfered segmental
pointed head arches, columns each with moulded capitals and bases and 4 attached
shafts. Stained glass roundels in SW windows of suns, zodiacs and heads, and in
a north window of a man reaping. 1660 hatchment over south doorway. C14/C15
font probably from the previous church. Octagonal, with alternate panels of
quatrefoils enclosing blank shields and 2 cusped lights. Stem of cusped light
panels, later spire cover with pulley intact. Coloured tiled floors throughout.
Two bronze wall plaques: 1932 to John Walker Gregory FRS.,FGS. Scientist,
explorer, teacher and 1905 to Henry Ayrton Chaplin research scientist, Gold
Coast colony. Bells. 1676 by Miles Graye, 1713 Thos. Gardiner Sudbury, 1470
Giles or Henry Jordon. Believed to be the only church in Essex to be built
during the reign of Elizabeth I. RCHM 1.

Listing NGR: TL8089506707

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531918

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House