Church of St Anne and St Lawrence

Details

TM 02 NE ELMSTEAD CHURCH ROAD

3/1 Church of St. Anne and St. Lawrence 17/11/66 GV I

Parish church. C12 Nave. Circa 1310 Chancel and South Tower. Circa 1330-1340 South Chapel, later repairs and restorations. Plastered mixed rubble with some puddingstone, limestone dressings. Red plain tile and leaded roofs. Chancel, east wall buttressed at angles, band below window. East window C19/C20 set in an older chamfered 2 centred arch with moulded label and kneeling angel stops, the modern window of 3 ogee lights with tracery over, 2 centred arch and stopped label. Cross to gable apex. North wall, 2 early C14, 2 light windows with Y tracery, labels and head stops, band at cill level extending from angles to cills. Central buttress. South wall, 2 windows similar to those in north wall with labels and head stops. Central buttress, band below cills. Western small trefoiled low light windows. Between the windows is a sunk chamfered 2 centre arched doorway, label with head stops, that to west much eroded. The Nave north wall has 3 windows, that to east C14, 2 trefoiled ogee lights with tracery under a segmental pointed head, moulded label over. Circa 1400 central window of-3 cinquefoil lights and vertical tracery under a 2 centred head with moulded label. Early C16 west window of 3 cinquefoiled lights in a 4 centred head, moulded label. Between the central and western window is the C12 round headed doorway with Roman brick arch and stone surround. A C20 copy door of counter- rebated boards and ornate iron strapwork replaces the original C12 north door which is now displayed in the Chancel. Few examples of this type of door are known in Essex, 3 are in Castle Hedingham church. West wall, small lean-to extension to north, west window similar to those in north wall of Chancel. C18 3 light square leaded hipped dormer to south. C14 south doorway with double chamfered jambs and 2 centred arch. Double doors, each of 2 nailed boards with filleted joints and 5 rear battens, original ironmongery. South Chapel, buttress to south eastern angle. East window of 3 chamfered lights, concrete lintel. The south wall has two 2 light windows similar to the Nave north eastern window, stops to labels. Below each window is a small low set trefoiled ogee light. South tower. One and a half stages high with pyramidal roof, buttresses to south angles. The lower stage forms the south porch, the 2 centre arched south doorway of 2 moulded orders, moulded capitals to attached jamb shafts. Small square headed openings to south and west first floor walls. Sundials to left of doorway. The interior with stone and brick floor and seat to eastern wall. To the east, west and north walls are blocked arches with chamfered jambs and 2 centred heads. C18 timber stairs with moulded newel to the west lead up to the Nave gallery. Horizontal boarding and a 2 panelled door with moulded surround below the stairs. Interior. Chancel. Roof plastered of 3 cants supported by 3 tie beams. Raised sanctuary floor with 2 floor slabs, John Brooke and his widow Maria circa 1847. Turned balusters to rails on 3 sides of altar. 2 painted creed and commandment boards one to either side of the east window. Painted memorial boards below these relating to William Martin, d. 1664 (north side), and Thomas Martin his son, d. 1672 (south side). C19 coloured glass to windows. In line C14 Piscina and Sedilia of 4 bays, each with moulded jambs and cinquefoiled head, moulded labels and headstops, these include a king and a bishop, the jambs of the third bay with stag and male head stops, trefoiled drain to Piscina. Moulded band to south and north walls the latter raised to west, possibly over a blocked doorway. Square niche to north wall and the chamfered edge of a former wall or doorway. Original C12 Nave north door displayed against north wall. Chest with 3 iron straps to each angle. Brass in centre of floor, 2 hands issuing from clouds and holding a heart inscribed "Credo" above a scroll "Videre Bona Domini", circa 1475. C14 stained glass to southern, low windows. C14 Chancel arch, 2 centred of 2 moulded orders. The chamfered responds have attached and filleted shafts but the capitals are broken and the bases restored or built out. South of the arch is a squint with a sexfoiled circular chamfered opening. Brick floors throughout the Church. Nave. Plastered barrel vaulted roof. Moulded wall plates. Round headed arch to north doorway, segmental pointed arch to south doorway. Panelled box pews said to be circa 1713, with incorporated C17 panelling and side seat in south chapel. Octagonal 2 decker pulpit with sounding board, this with inlaid sun and star and supported by a rough corbel to north wall. Painted boards of Ecclesiastes to upper south (5) and north (3) walls. Painted consecration cross to north wall. Royal Arms over south door GR 1749. A rare carved oak recumbent effigy of a knight in armour, believed to be Sir Roger De Tany 1301, in mail with a pointed bascinet, short surcoat, knee and elbow cops and shield. His head rests on a lion and his feet against a ?female figure. Formerly on the cill of the chapel east window. Floor slab to William Bendische, 1627. The western gallery/organ loft is supported by 2 slender columns. The front is panelled. A moulded 2 centre arched doorway leads from the south tower stairway. C20 circular font with moulded and ringed stem. Circa 1800 wrought iron hat rack attached to a south pew in the Nave, cruciform with 3 receding pairs of arms all with and supported by elaborate scrolls. C14 south arcade of 2 bays with 2 centred arches of 2 moulded orders. Quatrefoiled column with moulded capital and base, the responds have attached half columns. South chapel. Lean-to roof partly restored but with some moulded common and principal rafters. Moulded wall plates. C14 stained glass to 2 low windows. Stained glass fragments to east window one relating "16 IC 17", also C19 stained glass. Piscina, south wall, C14,shafted jambs, moulded trefoiled head, moulded label, sexfoiled drain, moulded cill, plain shelf. South wall, blocked arcade of 2 bays, moulded capitals and bases, 4 centre arched heads, moulded labels with head stops. RCHM 1. C.A. Hewett Church Carpentry, June Osborne Stained Glass in England, published by Frederick Muller Ltd.

Listing NGR: TM0650626003

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

120055

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
An Inventory of Essex North East, (1922)
Hewett, C A, Church Carpentry A Study Based on Essex Examples, (1982)
Osborne, J, Stained Glass in England, (1981)

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