| The Parish Church of St Mary lies in exquisite
surroundings at the northern extremity of Langham, adjacent to the Essex Way near Langham
Hall. Although the oldest parts of the church, a Grade I Listed Building, date from no
earlier than the 12th century, there is evidence to suggest that it may stand on a Saxon
foundation. The walls are mostly of pebble-rubble with much iron pudding-stone in the
extended chancel; dressings are of oolite and limestone. Parts of the north walls of the
chancel and nave are of 12th century construction, while the lower part of the tower is
13th century. Early in the 14th century the whole church was remodelled: the chancel was
extended and its arch widened asymmetrically to meet a splayed south wall and connect with
a new south aisle. The chancel, nave and tower underwent major repair and re-ordering in
the 19th and early 20th centuries under Rectors Ellis (1847-87) and Stamford Raffles
(1887-1914). The exterior faces of the chancel, nave and tower were restored in 1980-88
and a further substantial programme of re-ordering and repair (the Langham Church Renewal Programme) is
under way, intended to ensure the future of St Mary's as a living centre of
Christian activity into the 21st century
and beyond. |
