St Mary the Virgin Church, Wendens Ambo
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| Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wendens Ambo | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Church of St Mary the Virgin, Wendens Ambo | |
| Location | Church Path, Wendens Ambo, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 1967 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Chelmsford |
| Parish | Wendens Ambo |
St Mary the Virgin Church is a Church of England parish church in the village of Wendens Ambo in Essex, England. It is listed Grade I for its architectural, historical and topographical value.[1]
It originally served the village of Wenden Magna (Great Wenden), which was merged with Wenden Parva (Little Wenden) to form Wendens Ambo in 1662.
Tower
The building consists of a chancel with organ chamber, an aisled nave, a south porch and a tower surmounted by a Hertfordshire spike.[1] The vestry in the western end of the south aisle, is unusually positioned.[2]
The oldest part of the structure is the 11th-century tower. It is usually described as Norman. However, it could be pre-Conquest on the basis of a series of round window openings, like portholes: these small openings are found in Anglo-Saxon architecture and are sometimes called 'sound holes' although their actual function is unclear. The ones at Wendens Ambo are similar to late Saxon windows in St Bene't's church in Cambridge.
