All Saints, Great Braxted, Essex

We were in Essex for a few hours, on a top secret mission that I can't divulge at the moment, that is embargoed for a few more weeks.

 

But we did also have time, thanks to my insistence on an early start, to do some churchcrawling.

 

On the way into Great Braxted, we noticed the road, chuch drive I think it was, but being a private road belonging to the estate, we were past it before I had the chance to slow down.

 

We then went to the village, but could find no church there, so back on the main road, where in the meantime some white balloons had been hung from the arch marking the start of the drive.

 

We went down, at the prescribed 10mph, and found preparations in full swing for a wedding. Three stressed people were putting up an arch of white flowers over the entrance to the porch, guests were arriving, and parents were running around, headless. Or I assume they were parents of the two to be wed.

 

I hung around outside, trying to see a gap in the flower arranger's activities to get in the church, and when I did I found that even with an hour to go, some guests were already sitting and waiting.

 

I rush round and rattle a few shots off, not nearly enough to do the building justice, but after reading Simon's account of the church, being problematic to get in, I should have took more, but there really wasn't time.

 

A warden did show me round outside, and pointed to a slit underneath a window in the south aisle, which he said was where communion wafers were passed out to lepers. I took a picture, I have no idea if true, but the listing in its listed building status does not mention this.

 

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"Forgive me, aren't we talking rather loud?

I think I see a woman praying over there."

 

" Praying? The service is all over now

And here's the verger waiting to turn out

The lights and lock the church up. She cannot

Be Loyal Church of England. "

 

- John Betjeman, from Bristol and Clifton

 

Braxted Hall is a vast 18th Century estate whose village is Great Braxted, smaller than its Little namesake and a good three miles from it.Climbing up the hill I came to a pair of gates, recently unlocked but with a lock and chain at the ready, and a driveway which led after about a quarter of a mile to the church. I followed a car up the drive, assuming they had just unlocked the gates for the day, and I had arrived at a good time. But by the time I got to the end of the long drive, they had locked themselves into the church and were playing the organ!

 

This is a fine looking church, a massive restoration of the 1890s under Ernest Geldart, obviously designed as a view from the Hall. It probably doesn't function as much more than that today, set as it is in its humped churchyard, a fenced enclave in the Park above the ornamental lake with the woods beyond. I dare say it is a nice place to have a wedding. The driver had left their car parked beside the tower, ruining my view, Geldart's tower being its best feature, which obviously made me even grumpier. I rattled the door loudly, but they didn't hear me, or chose to ignore me.

 

I had been told that this church is always kept locked against pilgrims and strangers. Following the car up the drive, I had decided not to believe this, but it appeared to be true. I made a decision then and there to protest about every grant application that this church puts in from now on. They shouldn't receive any public money at all for what is basically a posh venue for their Sunday club, and a cash cow for weddings. Let it fall!

 

I waited in the porch in case they should emerge, but time was ticking on, and when they embarked upon a 30th hesitant stroll through Sheep May Safely Graze I decided that enough was enough. The best thing about this church was probably its exterior, so I left a rude note under the car windscreen wipers (I didn't really) and carried on northwards.

 

Simon Knott, April 2013

 

www.simonknott.co.uk/essexchurches/gbraxted.htm

 

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Name: CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS

 

List entry Number: 1165777

 

Location

CHURCH OF ALL SAINTS, BRAXTED PARK ROAD

The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

 

County: Essex

 

District: Maldon

 

District Type: District Authority

 

Parish: Great Braxted

 

National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.

 

Grade: II*

 

Date first listed: 30-Dec-1959

 

Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.

 

Legacy System Information

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

 

Legacy System: LBS

 

UID: 118889

 

Asset Groupings

This list entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.

 

List entry Description

Summary of Building

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

 

Reasons for Designation

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

 

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

 

Details

TL 81 NE GREAT BRAXTED BRAXTED PARK ROAD

 

2/45 Church of All Saints 30.12.59 GV II*

 

Church. C12 Nave and west end of Chancel. C13 restored West Tower and extension to Chancel. C15 south porch. C19 North Chapel, Vestry, rebuilt Chancel arch, Belfry, Spire and restorations. Of flint rubble, clunch tufa, septaria and Roman tile. Quoins and dressings of clunch and Roman brick. C19 crenellated chapel, and vestry of red brick with stone dressings. Red plain tiled roofs. Weatherboarded belfry with shingle spire. Chancel. East wall 3 restored lancet windows. North and south walls show the junction between C12 and C13 work suggesting a former apse. C12 north wall with regular courses of Tufa and Roman tiles. There are 2 courses of herringbone tiling. 3 windows to north wall, the 2 eastern restored lancets, the western C12 round headed. South wall 3 eastern windows restored lancets, the western in 2 parts, the upper lancet, the lower a square headed 'low-side' window. Red brick quoins. Brick plinth. Nave. South wall has 3 restored windows and 2 cusped roundels above the porch. Eastern window 2 cusped lights with 3 lights over, second window of 3 lights with reticulated tracery over, 2 centred head and label. West window, 2 cusped lights, 2 centred head with label. Beneath the eastern window are 2 slab monuments, the eastern with achievement to Sir William Ayloff, the other with 2 upper achievements and no inscriptions. North wall has a single light window with a 2 centred arch and moulded label and a C12, widened C18, window above the north vestry. C14 south doorway has jambs and a 2 centred moulded arch. The west tower rises to the height of the nave and is surmounted by a weatherboarded bell tower with 2 light sounding louvres and shingle spire. A tiled and weatherboarded structure attaches the spire base to the west face. C13 lancet windows to north and south wall, Roman brick and clunch quoins. C19 buttressed west face. The full height buttresses stone dressed with ornamental flint panels are surmounted by cusped 2 light sounding louvre in a gabled head. Band and flush work panels below louvre and 2 vertical slits under. West window of 3 lights with tracery over in pointed head. Above this window is a chamfered arch, possibly C13. C19 north chapel of red brick, crenellated with moulded band under, this rising to point over north window of 3 cusped lights with tracery over and moulded label. To east of this chapel is the small red brick and tiled chapel with cusped single light window to the west. South porch. C15 outer arch, 2 centred of 2 moulded orders, the inner resting on shafts with moulded capitals and bases, moulded label over. Side walls each have a C15 2 light window in square head with label over. The roof has moulded and crenellated tie beams with braces forming 4 centred arches. Moulded and crenellated wall plates. Moulded wall posts on carved stone corbels, 2 with angels holding shields, one grotesque head and one head and foliage. Crown posts with moulded capitals and bases. Benches to side walls. Black and white tiled floor. Interior. Chancel. Roof plastered of 7 cants. Moulded wall plates to west. C17 panelled dado to walls from elsewhere. Large locker to north wall with rebated jambs and 2 centred head. Cusped heads to sedile and piscina, the latter with round drain and shelf in east jamb. Crenellated beam over small niche in north wall. Slabs to Richard Milward D.D. 1680 Canon of Windsor. Anthony Carew 1705. C19 2 centred chancel arch with moulded capitals and bases to jambs. Nave C15/C16 roof of 7 cants with moulded principal rafters and centre purlin. Moulded and crenellated wall plates and tie beams. Traceried spandrels to braces and carved half angels above stone corbel heads. 3 octagonal crown posts. Vertically boarded dado to pew walls. C19 stone octagonal font, 2 centred arches and buttresses to stem. Shields and inscription to side panels. Painted board relating to the will of John Freze 1663. 1960 Royal Hatchment. West Tower. C13 2 centred chamfered arch. Stone wall slab under west window to Robert Aylett LL.D., 1654-1656, Emblems of mortality and 2 shields of arms to right and left. C19 north chapel - known as the Du Cane Chapel. C19 moulded segmental pointed chapel arch. Moulded wall plates each with 6 curved angels. North window stained glass 1844 by Warrington. Monuments to the Du Cane family. Some to east and west walls with traceried canopies over. Central monument to west wall of grey marble with white marble urn to Peter DuCane aged 90 years B. 1803, Mary his wife and Richard his son. RCHM I.

 

Listing NGR: TL8509415439

 

Selected Sources

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details

National Grid Reference: TL 85094 15439

 

historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1165777

 

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The church is a listed building of grade II*. It was constructed, it is believed, in 1115,

in all probability by William de Sackville, then Lord of the Manor.

It is situated within the grounds of Braxted Park and the village, which was close to it,

was moved by Peter Du Cane in the 18th century to outside the boundary of his land,

which is surrounded by what is believed to be the longest brick wall in Essex. Du

Cane was a director of the Bank of England and the East India Company.

The walls are of septaria mixed with flint, free-stone and Roman bricks, the dressings

are of clunch and Roman brick, while the roof is tiled. It is possible that the Roman

bricks came from the Roman site at Rivenhall but there may have been a Roman settlement

where the church now stands, as oyster shells have been found there.

The nave and western half of the chancel are early twelfth century when the church

ended eastwards in an apse. The apse was removed and the chancel extended to its

present length early in the 13th century, possibly by the Lord of the Manor, Nicholas de

Anesty. Shortly after this, the west tower was added but never finished at the time.

The south porch, added in the 15th century, has moulded and embattled tie-beams with

curved braces forming four-centred arches, king posts, wall-posts, moulded brackets

and carved stone corbels, two with angels and two with faces. The wall plates are

moulded and embattled.

 

The chancel has three 13th century lancet windows in the east wall which are almost

modern externally. The stained glass in these was inserted in 1889 by Percy Bacon and

Bros at the behest of Sir

Charles Du Cane. They were

probably designed by the

eminent architect and pastor,

the Reverend Ernest Geldart

who, as will be seen below, has

had a major influence on the

building. The break in the

north and south walls defines

the junction of the 12th and 13th

century work. The 12th century

part shows signs of an inward

curvature suggesting the spring

of the former apse. In the north

wall, the two eastern windows

are thirteenth century lancets

and the westernmost early 12th

century, with a round head of tufa. In the south wall the three eastern windows are 13th

century lancets, restored internally, while the westernmost is in two parts, the upper a

lancet light and the lower a square-headed “low-side” window, restored externally,

probably 13th century. This last was used by the deacon or sub-deacon to ring the

sacring bell. The aumbry in the north wall is 13th century, as is the piscina in the south

wall, but this was enlarged in the 16th century and has a corbelled head, a shelf in the

east jamb and a round drain. Five feet from the east wall there are traces of an altar

beam of the 13th century on which

images and reliquaries were placed. This

example of an altar beam is unique in the

diocese. On the outside of the south wall

is a scratch dial, used for telling the time

for obits and masses and also evidence of

a leper squint, which enabled them to

receive the host during communion. The

roof of the chancel is probably 17th

century towards the east and 15th century

towards the west, while the chancel arch

was rebuilt at the same time as the spire

and other restoration in 1883. The choir

stalls and north transept pews were

designed by the Rev. Ernest Geldart, in

1893. The reredos was constructed in 1919, again designed by Geldart and executed

by Samuel Marshall of Coggeshall with figures by Nathaniel Hitch, whose work is

found in cathedrals in Britain and abroad.

 

 

The nave has, on the south, quoins of

Roman brick and a plastered north wall. In

the north wall, the eastern window is

twelfth century but was widened and

altered in the seventeenth or eighteenth

century. High in the north wall is a round

patch, which probably indicates a former

round window like those in the south wall.

In the south wall are three completely

restored windows in the lower range,

except the 14th century splays and rear arch

of the middle window. In the upper range

are two round and sexfoiled windows,

probably of the 14th century but with

modern jambs. Above the second window

of the lower range is the Roman brick head

of another 12th century window. The late

15th or early 16th century roof of the nave is

much restored and has three king post

trusses with curved braces, traceried

spandrels and half-angels at the point of

junction; the curved principals and central

purlin are moulded.

The tower is 13th century except for the west

buttresses and west windows, which are

modern. It is surmounted by a timber belfry and

a spire with a shingled roof which was restored

in 1883 by the Rev. Ernest Geldart.

A faculty was granted to Peter Du Cane in 1761

to erect the north transept with a family pew and

vault beneath. The present stained glass

window, designed by Warrington, was erected

in 1844.

There is a monument to Robert Aylett LL.D in the West Tower dated 1654 with

symbols of mortality – skulls, bones an hourglass and a shovel. In the North transept

are Du Cane family monuments including Peter (1803 by J. Moore) and Sir Charles

(1889 by Cox and Buckley). In the chancel there are floor slabs to Richard Millward

D.D. 1680 and to Anthony Carew, 1705, now covered by the pulpit. The Vestry was

added in the 19th century and was modernised in 2004, providing a kitchen and toilet

facilities.

 

www.tk-tiptree-braxted-benefice.org.uk/All%20Saints%20Chu...

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