Little Warley

St Peter was an unscheduled visit but as I passed it on my way to Noak Hill I stopped. This pretty church both architecturally and location wise sits besides the busy A127 and is kept locked with no keyholder listed (to be fair there's nowhere to list a keyholder as there's no noticeboard).

Sadly someone had smashed the south east chancel window, presumably in an attempt to gain access, which provides a point for both sides of the argument but, given that it was patently obvious there was nothing worth stealing here, if the church was unlocked the someone wouldn't have smashed the window.

It's worth noting that a search on Flickr shows that when Whipper_snapper visited in Jan 2007 someone had smashed the same window

It has some interesting monuments locked inside.

ST PETER. A small church. Brick W tower of 1718 with chequer pattern, diagonal buttresses and parapet. C15 stone nave with some windows with Perp tracery. Early C16 brick chancel, heavily buttressed (later) on the N side. The E wall is early C19. S porch of timber c. 1500. Nave roof with tie-beams and king-posts. - BOX-PEWS, C17. - PLATE. Cup of 1564 with band of ornament. - MONUMENTS. Brass with demi-figure of Anne Terrell d. 1592. - Sir Denner Strutt and his wife d. 1641. Standing wall monument. Recumbent effigies on shelves, the wife behind and above the husband. Big baldacchino and coarsely carved putti lifting up the curtains. - Lady Strutt d. 1658. Standing wall monument. Semi-reclining figure in a shroud; cheek propped on elbow. - Father Time, early C17 alabaster figure, reclining, from a lost monument.

LITTLE WARLEY. The woods about it rise and fall with the hills, and a row of pretty cottages lines the edge of a breezy common from which are fine views, while the old church stands by the hall on the arterial road to Southend. Built entirely of brick in the 16th century, the hall has great charm, especially the side facing the church, with black bricks making a rich pattern and a two-storeyed porch with a crow stepped gable. Rising above the high pitched roof are twin chimney shafts with spirals. The small church is a patchwork of materials, a 16th century chancel and 18th century tower of brick having been added to a nave of grey and white stone. We come in by a 15th century door, and are charmed with two cherubs holding back a canopy over the striking tomb of Sir Denner Strutt, who lies in armour below the figure of his first wife, with his second wife close by. Sir Denner sat in the first Parliament of Charles Stuart. On the wall is the brass portrait of a lady in Elizabethan dress, wife in turn to Davye Hamner and John Terrell. In a niche is a quaint alabaster figure of Father Time.

Simon K -

I had been looking forward to coming here on the Ride and Stride event, and cycled eight miles out of my way to visit it, only to find it locked without a keyholder notice, and not taking part in the event. I hope they never have the gall to apply for a grant.

This was the real low point of the day. An utterly depressing location, cut off from its parish by the A127. Red brick, small, neglected, with a view of one of the county's most important 16th Century memorials through the window. Not in safe hands. A dog barking from the neighbouring ranch-style house, the roar of traffic from the dual carriageway. Rain falling heavily. This was the point at which I wondered - what the f*** am I doing here?

Fortunately, the next church, Great Warley, would more than make up for this dismal place.

Flickr.