St Mary the Virgin - Dedham, Essex (65)
Dedham, Essex – St Mary the Virgin
These are more examples of Essex Churches that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last two to three years. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Dedham is a small village approx 7 miles from Colchester, a village famous world wide for it’s connection the the artist John Constable. He went to school at the Grammer School, he painted Dedham Mill and the Parish Church, to name just two of his works.
There was a small one-aisled church on the site going back to 1322, this was demolished and work started on St Mary the Virgin in 1492, the year Columbus set sail for America. It was completed 30 years later just before Henry VIII became head of the Church of England. The tower, an independent structure was finished in 1519. It was thought that it was paid for by Margaret Beaufort, the wife of Henry VII. It is 131 foot high and quite an impressive tower for a church of its size.
The Bells in the church are very old, five were cast before 1552, one in 1675, one at the turn of the 17th century and one in 1717. Alas these cannot be pealed because of structural weaknesses.
There is an American connection. Many of Dedham’s residents left England and some settled in Massachusetts, in 1636 the town of Dedham was founded. There are shields in the roof, a dedicated pew and a Sealed Resolution in the Vestry to commemorate this strong link.
Inside there is a painting by Constable himself, ‘The Ascension’. Stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell, Kempe & Co., Powell & Sons.
All in all, a lovely church to visit.
St Mary the Virgin - Dedham, Essex (65)
Dedham, Essex – St Mary the Virgin
These are more examples of Essex Churches that show the Architecture, the Interiors, the Exteriors and especially the Stained Glass Windows that I have taken over the last two to three years. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did visiting them.
Dedham is a small village approx 7 miles from Colchester, a village famous world wide for it’s connection the the artist John Constable. He went to school at the Grammer School, he painted Dedham Mill and the Parish Church, to name just two of his works.
There was a small one-aisled church on the site going back to 1322, this was demolished and work started on St Mary the Virgin in 1492, the year Columbus set sail for America. It was completed 30 years later just before Henry VIII became head of the Church of England. The tower, an independent structure was finished in 1519. It was thought that it was paid for by Margaret Beaufort, the wife of Henry VII. It is 131 foot high and quite an impressive tower for a church of its size.
The Bells in the church are very old, five were cast before 1552, one in 1675, one at the turn of the 17th century and one in 1717. Alas these cannot be pealed because of structural weaknesses.
There is an American connection. Many of Dedham’s residents left England and some settled in Massachusetts, in 1636 the town of Dedham was founded. There are shields in the roof, a dedicated pew and a Sealed Resolution in the Vestry to commemorate this strong link.
Inside there is a painting by Constable himself, ‘The Ascension’. Stained glass windows by Clayton & Bell, Kempe & Co., Powell & Sons.
All in all, a lovely church to visit.