St Mary the Virgin
Little Dunmow, Essex
This is a fragment of a very much larger priory church that was demolished at the Dissolution. It had been the Lady Chapel, and dates from about 1360.
The ochre coloured nave is much smaller in scale, and with its elaborate little cupola looks rather central European. On the north side is a brick built extension with crowstepped gables that could be from the Netherlands.
The oldest part is the nave, which was originally 'the chapel outside the gates' of the Cistercian abbey of Tilty. All such abbeys had a chapel like this, for passersby, workmen, and for women, who were not allowed in the precincts. Of the abbey itself nothing now remains except for lumps of masonry in a field nearby.
The nave is 13th century. Its porch is 17th century, and the little belfry and its cupola date from the 18th century. The brick extension is a Victorian vestry. The chancel was added in about 1330, and has outstanding features, especially the east window with sinuous reticulated tracery.
Inside are elements from every part of the church's history, including sedilias and piscinas in both parts of the building, those in the chancel are as grand as its windows.
There are also brasses, medieval floor tiles, hatchments and a 15th century roof on the nave.