St. Peter's, South Weald, Essex
St.Peter's, South Weald, is a large parish church which seems out of place in the small village that is South Weald today. It was formerly the parish church of nearby Brentwood and also formerly served the Harold Hill area.
www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/sets/72157594283793202/ is a whole set about this church,
A principal landowner is the area in Saxon times was King Harold, killed at Hastings in 1066. The present church dates from the 12th century at least when it had a nave and chancel on the site of the present south aisle. The north aisle was added in the 13th century and the tower was built at the beginning of the 16th century. An extensive rebuilding took place in 1868 to the plans of architect S. S. Teulon. The north aisle was converted into the nave and chancel.
The font dates to 1662 and has a finely carved cover of later date. From 1868 until 1946 the Tower family of nearby Weald Hall [now demolished] had a private chapel in the church but this was converted into a war memorial and marks the death [among others] of two members of the Tower family in WW1.
The family kept a deer park from which the deer escaped in WW2 and took up residence in the area. The Tower family's interest in deer is marked by a stained glass window dedicated to the hunter saint, St Hubert. There is some 15th century Flemish glass high up in the tower but the rest is Victorian or later.
St. Peter's, South Weald, Essex
St.Peter's, South Weald, is a large parish church which seems out of place in the small village that is South Weald today. It was formerly the parish church of nearby Brentwood and also formerly served the Harold Hill area.
www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/sets/72157594283793202/ is a whole set about this church,
A principal landowner is the area in Saxon times was King Harold, killed at Hastings in 1066. The present church dates from the 12th century at least when it had a nave and chancel on the site of the present south aisle. The north aisle was added in the 13th century and the tower was built at the beginning of the 16th century. An extensive rebuilding took place in 1868 to the plans of architect S. S. Teulon. The north aisle was converted into the nave and chancel.
The font dates to 1662 and has a finely carved cover of later date. From 1868 until 1946 the Tower family of nearby Weald Hall [now demolished] had a private chapel in the church but this was converted into a war memorial and marks the death [among others] of two members of the Tower family in WW1.
The family kept a deer park from which the deer escaped in WW2 and took up residence in the area. The Tower family's interest in deer is marked by a stained glass window dedicated to the hunter saint, St Hubert. There is some 15th century Flemish glass high up in the tower but the rest is Victorian or later.