Monument record MCC7029 - St James's Church, Little Tey

Summary

Walls are coursed flint rubble with limestone dressings and puddingstone quoins.

Location

Grid reference Centred TL 8914 2375 (17m by 12m)
Map sheet TL82SE
County ESSEX
Civil Parish MARKS TEY, COLCHESTER, ESSEX

Map

Type and Period (2)

Full Description

Walls are coursed flint rubble with pudding stone. The dressings are limestone and the roofs are tiled. Chancel, with apsidal E. end (although the roof is gabled), and nave are structurally undivided, C12. Probably early in C16 the bell-turret was built. Photo of church in RCHM. Features and fittings include: several small Norman windows; N. doorway modern externally, internally is C12; C12 S. doorway (photo in RCHM) with tympanum decorated with Norman lozenge diapering; roof of apse is gabled and has a projecting gusset piece on each side under the eaves; C15 font, lower part of bowl, in rectory garden; C15 glass in E window; roof of nave is trussed rafter type and ceiled; probably C16 chest in vestry.<1><2><3><5><6>

Wall paintings - In the apse, and extensive C13 Passion cycle, with fragments indicating a C14 repainting. In the nave, remains of other C13 work, and a C14 Virgin and Child; on N. wall, fragmentary St Christopher and part of the Three Living and Three Dead.<2>

Site Assessment (Rodwell & Rodwell 1977) = Church is interesting because of the apsidal E end.<1> A small, very complete example of a single-celled Norman church with apsidal W end. Although dressings of windows and doorways are limestone, the quoins are undressed puddingstone; this is unusual in a Norman building ad is more to be expected of pre-conquest work; it is therefore of some importance to check whether the one `datable' feature, the S doorway, is primary or inserted. Church is generally in good condition and the churchyard has been `tidied' a little. Archaeological potential uncertain, graded AIIa by Rodwell.<4>

Six digital photographs taken July 2016.<6>

Sources/Archives (7)

  • <1> DESC TEXT: RCHME. 1922. An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Essex - Volume 3. Vol 3, pp.173-174.
  • <2> Monograph: Bettley, James and Pevsner, Nikolaus. 2007. The buildings of England: Essex. p.560.
  • <3> DESC TEXT: Priddy, DA. unknown. SMR.
  • <4> Monograph: Rodwell, Warwick J with Rodwell, KA. 1977. Historic Churches: a wasting asset. p.120.
  • <5> DESC TEXT: Department of the Environment. 1982. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Colchester Rural. p.252.
  • <6> Photograph: Tipper, J.. 2016. Photographs of St James's Church, Little Tey. Digital.
  • <6> RECORD SHEET/FORM: Ordnance Survey. unknown. OS cards. TL82SE12, 1960.

Finds (4)

Protected Status/Designation

Related Monuments/Buildings (3)

Related Events/Activities (0)

Record last edited

Sep 14 2016 7:31AM

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