St Mary's Church, Mundon
Encyclopedia
St Mary's Church, Mundon, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Mundon
, Essex
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
.
ed enclosure of Mundon Hall. It is thought that an earlier church existed on the site, possibly dating back to the Anglo-Saxon
era, as it is situated on St Peter's Way, an ancient pilgrim's route to St Peter's Chapel, Bradwell. In addition the font
, which has been removed, was dated to about 1200. The tower, with its timber belfry
, was erected in the 16th century. The north porch was added in about 1600. By 1684 the church had fallen into disrepair. During the following century it was rebuilt in brick on the old foundations. In the 19th and 20th centuries the population of the immediate locality declined, and the fabric of the church deteriorated again. In addition it was damaged by the blast from a V-bomb during the Second World War. Although some repairs were undertaken after the war, church services were held elsewhere, and in 1974 the parish
was transferred to St Mary's in Maldon
. The church was taken into the care of the charity
the Friends of Friendless Churches during the following year. The charity holds a 999 year lease
with effect from 1 January 1975. Since its acquisition repair and conservation work has been carried out, assisted by a grant of £140,000 from English Heritage. From September 2009 the church has been open to visitors. An annual service is held in the church.
with a north porch, a chancel
, and a tower supporting a belfry; around the tower is a semi-octagonal aisle
. The nave is constructed in plastered
stone rubble
, the chancel is in brick, the aisle around the tower is timber-framed
, the belfry is weatherboarded
, and the roofs are covered in red tiles. Inside the church is a complete set of 18th-century box pew
s and an 18th-century octagonal pulpit
. On the chancel walls, also dating from the 18th century, are paintings of the Ten Commandments
, the Lord's Prayer
, the Creed, and other texts. Above the east window is a mural
depicting curtains being drawn aside, with hanging tassels, "in a rare rural attempt at trompe l'oeil".
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Mundon
Mundon
Mundon is a village and civil parish on the Dengie peninsula in the English county of Essex. It lies 3 miles south-east of Maldon. The manor of Munduna passed from the king's thegn Godwin to Eudo Dapifer at the Conquest...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches
Friends of Friendless Churches is a registered charity active in England and Wales. It campaigns for and rescues redundant historic churches threatened by demolition, decay, or inappropriate conversion. To that end, as of August 2010, it owns 43 former churches or chapels, 23 of which...
.
History
The oldest fabric in the present church dates from the 14th century. The church is built within the moatMoat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
ed enclosure of Mundon Hall. It is thought that an earlier church existed on the site, possibly dating back to the Anglo-Saxon
History of Anglo-Saxon England
Anglo-Saxon England refers to the period of the history of that part of Britain, that became known as England, lasting from the end of Roman occupation and establishment of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms in the 5th century until the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror...
era, as it is situated on St Peter's Way, an ancient pilgrim's route to St Peter's Chapel, Bradwell. In addition the font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
, which has been removed, was dated to about 1200. The tower, with its timber belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
, was erected in the 16th century. The north porch was added in about 1600. By 1684 the church had fallen into disrepair. During the following century it was rebuilt in brick on the old foundations. In the 19th and 20th centuries the population of the immediate locality declined, and the fabric of the church deteriorated again. In addition it was damaged by the blast from a V-bomb during the Second World War. Although some repairs were undertaken after the war, church services were held elsewhere, and in 1974 the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
was transferred to St Mary's in Maldon
Maldon, Essex
Maldon is a town on the Blackwater estuary in Essex, England. It is the seat of the Maldon district and starting point of the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation.Maldon is twinned with the Dutch town of Cuijk...
. The church was taken into the care of the charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
the Friends of Friendless Churches during the following year. The charity holds a 999 year lease
Leasehold estate
A leasehold estate is an ownership of a temporary right to land or property in which a lessee or a tenant holds rights of real property by some form of title from a lessor or landlord....
with effect from 1 January 1975. Since its acquisition repair and conservation work has been carried out, assisted by a grant of £140,000 from English Heritage. From September 2009 the church has been open to visitors. An annual service is held in the church.
Architecture, fittings and furnishings
The plan of the church consists of a naveNave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a north porch, a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, and a tower supporting a belfry; around the tower is a semi-octagonal aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
. The nave is constructed in plastered
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
stone rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
, the chancel is in brick, the aisle around the tower is timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
, the belfry is weatherboarded
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
, and the roofs are covered in red tiles. Inside the church is a complete set of 18th-century box pew
Box pew
Box pew is a type of church pew that is encased in panelling and was prevalent in England and other Protestant countries from the 16th to early 19th century.-History in England:...
s and an 18th-century octagonal pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
. On the chancel walls, also dating from the 18th century, are paintings of the Ten Commandments
Ten Commandments
The Ten Commandments, also known as the Decalogue , are a set of biblical principles relating to ethics and worship, which play a fundamental role in Judaism and most forms of Christianity. They include instructions to worship only God and to keep the Sabbath, and prohibitions against idolatry,...
, the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
, the Creed, and other texts. Above the east window is a mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
depicting curtains being drawn aside, with hanging tassels, "in a rare rural attempt at trompe l'oeil".