St Stephens Church


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The Church of St Stephen - Great Wigborough

In the last few years’ considerable sums have been spent on the fabric of the church. The roof had become in need of retiling, and consequent rain damage had bought down plaster from the ceiling. The rainwater gutters and pipes were in a bad state and plasterwork round the base of the walls had been suffering from damp. It was discovered that the outer skin on the south wall of the nave had been bulging outwards. Moreover during thunderstorms in the autumn of 1992, lightening struck the southeast pinnacle on the tower, and its fall made a hole in the roof and did considerable damage to the porch.

All this damage has now been repaired, including the erection of a new pinnacle on the tower, considerable repairs to the roof, the guttering and the porch and strengthening of the south wall. Inside the building, the plasterwork has been replaced where necessary and new quartz heating has been installed.

St Stephen's

Beautifully situated on the top of a hill at the highest point of the parish, the tree –circled tower of the parish church is a landmark for many miles around. The large manor of Abbots Hall belonged to the important nunnery of Barking from at least the Norman Conquest (1066) until the dissolution of that monastery in 1540, and with that ownership went the patronage of the parish church, so we can assume that there was a church here from at least early Norman times.

There are records of clergy here back to the 13^th century. There were also, from early times, a chapel at Salcott-Wigborough (now Salcott parish church) for the convenience of that hamlet at a distance from the main parish church and across the creek, but annexed to the parish church of Great Wigborough. Virley was a separate parish with its own church.

St Stephens South Porch

All welcome please come and visit

The present church of St Stephen of septaria and rubble with tiled roofs, owing to rebuilding and restoration has no features earlier than the 14^th century. The nave and the chancel were built late in the 14^th century, but the chancel has been completely rebuilt, introducing other stone. Late in the 15^th century a west tower was

added, also a south porch, but both have been rebuilt following extensive damage done by the 1884 earthquake. The nave thus remains the only part of the original building, but the windows are mostly modern work. The now blocked north doorway is of late 14^th century date; the south doorway is of mid 15^th century date. In the north east corner behind the pulpit is the late 14^th century staircase, which led to the rood-loft above the chancel screen in pre-Reformation days. There is some reused 15^th century material in both tower and porch.

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