Greensted Church

Greensted Church, Church Lane, Greensted Road, Ongar, Essex

“Greensted church is the oldest wooden church in the world and the oldest wooden building standing in Europe.”
(Greensted church guidebook)

The growth rings on some of the timbers used to make the walls of the church were analysed in the 1990s, and according to the guide book they indicate the date of the church to be around 1060/1063.

I took the colour photographs in March 2010, and the black and white photos were taken by a visitor to the church in 1934, it is difficult to see any changes.
During the reign of Henry VII and the reign of Queen Victoria, extensive changes were made to the church. The dormer windows were added and later changed. The thatched roof was changed to tiles some timbers have been replaced with bricks and others have been shortened to remove rot.
A man who lives near the church told me that recently (about 15 years ago) some of the wooden shingles on the spire had been replaced with ones made from trees blown down in the 1987 storm. (The Michael Fish storm)

A grave at the front of the church - south side is thought to be the final resting place of a crusader, a bowman who had been on one of the twelfth century crusades. A photograph in the guide book shows a wreath placed next to the grave.

When I last visited the church in March 2010, I would have been happy for a day without rain after the bad weather we had in December/February.
It turned out to be a nice sunny day, and the blue sky was a bonus, giving me a chance to take some photographs.
Nothing had changed since my last visit - except a bit more had fallen from the wooden cross that is just inside the gate.

The church is only five miles from the busy M11 motorway taking thousands of people to and from London, but it seems a world away. This is a beautiful church in a peaceful and idyllic setting.

The guide book is available inside the church and is probably a must have if you visit the church, other momentos are also available including picture postcards and tea towels.