Research by Richard Clements
All Saints’ Church, Rettendon: History and Context
All Saints’ Church stands on a hill above Rettendon village and is a well-preserved medieval rural parish church. Its origins date to around 1200 (c.13th century). Architectural and historical records show that the church’s Norman south doorway and nave were built about 1200, with the chancel rebuilt later in that century. In the 15th century the west tower, north aisle, chapel and two-storey vestry (priest’s chamber) were added. The church was extensively restored in 1898 (when the roof was renewed and much of the church’s fittings were installed) and the tower was refurbished again in the early 20th century. The church is Grade II listed for its high survival of medieval fabric.
The stone tower (15th century) has a battlemented parapet, diagonal buttresses and an octagonal stair turret. The body of the church is mainly flint with stone dressings; surviving interior features include 13th-century elements like the piscina (stone basin for washing communion vessels) and sedilia (priest’s seats) in the chancel. Some carved poppy-head bench ends showing a dog, lion, bear and monkey are medieval. The church has many important monuments: notably a full-wall marble monument to Edmund Humphrey (d.1727), featuring Corinthian columns and arches by sculptor Samuel Chandler, and late-medieval brass memorials to Richard Cannon (1605) and Richard Humfrie (1607). The 1727 Humphrey monument dominates the north aisle and commemorates a local benefactor (see below).
Early Site History and Ecclesiastical Background
The Rettendon settlement has ancient roots. It appears in records of 673 AD and in the Domesday Book of 1086. Early on, Rettendon was linked to Ely: it was “given to a priory in the Isle of Ely” and later became part of the Bishops of Ely’s estates. The medieval church stands near the site of an old manorial complex – 18th‑century sources mention an “ancient farm-house, formerly the residence of the Bishops of Ely”. One study of place‑names notes that the 1777 map marks “Rettendon Place” at the church site (with the main village 2 km away), suggesting that “Rettendon Hall” or manor house once stood by the church. In Domesday the lord of the manor was Siward of Maldon (a lay tenant of Ely), indicating that by 1086 the land had passed from the abbey to secular hands.
All Saints’ was originally Roman Catholic (pre-Reformation) and became the Church of England parish church after c.1530. In the 19th century it was described as a rectory (valued ~£765) in the London or Chelmsford diocese, under the patronage of the Bishop of Ely. By 1894 the living (value ~£190 with 64 acres glebe) belonged to the Diocese of Chelmsford. The church historically had five bells in its tower. Adjacent to All Saints’ is a 1902 parish-room (now a meeting room) built for services and community use.
Architectural Features and Monuments
Structure – The nave and chancel are Early English (c.1200) in style. The 15th-century tower and north chapel/aisle are also visible. The roof is tiled (renewed 1898). The two-storey east vestry (priest’s chamber) is a notable late medieval addition.
Interiors – The stone piscina and sedilia date to the 13th century. Woodwork includes restored 19th‑century pews and choir stalls; some bench ends likely reuse 15th‑century carving (e.g. the animal heads).
Monuments – Inside is a “very fine” Humphrey monument (1727): a large marble wall memorial in the north aisle with Corinthian columns, open pediment, and allegorical figures. Edmund Humphrey (†1727) endowed a local school. The church also has brass memorials to 16th‑ and 17th‑century parishioners (e.g. Richard Cannon †1605). A brass to Richard Cannon notes that “Richard Cannon, 1605” founded a charity still supporting the poor of Rettendon.
Restorations – The chancel and nave roof were replaced in 1898; in that campaign, most interior fittings (pews, pulpit, rails, etc.) were renewed. The tower was refurbished in 1920s and again in late 20th c. Modern interventions include adding a kitchen (in the nave) and disabled toilet (in the tower base).
Notable Patrons and Charities
The church’s wealthy patrons left lasting legacies. The big marble monument commemorates Edmund Humphrey (d.1727). His will funded a school: “a sum of £20…out of Rettendon Place farm, for educational purposes” was used to build a parish school in the early 18th century. This became Rettendon’s Primary School. Richard Cannon (d.1605) had a brass; he founded a parish charity to help the needy. These endowments (school and charity) persisted through the 19th century and invested in consols after 1873. Other local gentry connected to the church included the Lords of the Manor. In the late 19th century, the manor was held by Sir Robert Inglis (who donated to the church) and others, though these are noted in local directories rather than inscriptions.
Rettendon Place Farm (John Little’s Farm) and the Bishop’s Estate
Immediately south of the church lies a complex historically known as Rettendon Place. This farmstead and manor area was long tied to the Bishops of Ely. An 1831 gazetteer noted “an ancient farm-house, formerly the residence of the Bishops of Ely” at Rettendon. The medieval moated manor (now gone) stood here. In 1777, the village was centred at the church and Rettendon Place; only later did the settlement shift south along the main road.
In the Victorian era, Rettendon Place Farm included a large brick house (built 1884, with 1900 additions by architect Frederick Chancellor). Today, this is the home farm (currently “Little Rettendon Place Farm” or “John Little’s Farm”). It was once part of the main rectory/estate. A local heritage register describes the 1884 house as a “prominent landmark” and notes its group value with the church and an adjoining barn (the Bishop’s Stables). In the late 19th century, the prime landowners in Rettendon were Major Spitty and W.W. Meeson, who held much of the parish, including Rettendon Place Farm. (By then, the farm produced crops like wheat and beans, on heavy loam with clay subsoil.)
The Bishop of Ely’s Stables
On the Rettendon Place estate stands a 16th-century red-brick barn now called the “Bishop of Ely Stables”. Historic England lists it (Grade II) as “Former Barn at Rettendon Place”. Architecturally, it is a rare medieval brick barn: three gables on the south side (the outer two with blocked windows) and a four-light window at the west gable end. A later lean-to was added to the west. Its name reflects the land’s medieval ownership; it was “clearly a high-status” barn belonging to the Bishops of Ely’s manor. The stables are now restored and used as holiday accommodation, but they preserve their Tudor character.
Land Use and Boundaries
Historically, the churchyard and Rettendon Place demarcated the core of the parish. Tithe maps and field boundaries (19th c.) would have shown the farm wrapping around the south side of the church. (The farm’s old haybarns and fields lie downhill from the churchyard.) The main road (“Main Road”, A130) runs just south of Rettendon Place Farmhouse; the church access lane leads north into its yard. In World War II the farm’s open fields made it a target: local memories record V-2 rocket fragments falling in the village and incendiary bombs setting fire to haystacks at Rettendon Place Farm.
Broader Historical Events
World War II: Rettendon was on the Home Front. A V-2 rocket fell nearby and incendiary bombs hit the farm, as recalled by a local resident: “the V2 that fell in the village and the incendiary raids on Rettendon Place farm”. Large parts of Rettendon Place estate were taken over for the war effort: a deep tunnel under the hill beside Rettendon Hall was excavated in the 1940s to serve as an underground field hospital, though it was never needed. Troops (e.g. a Scottish infantry unit) were billeted in Rettendon Hall (a manor house north of the church), and many anti-invasion defences (pillboxes, tank traps, searchlights) stood on local farmland. After the war, these features (pillboxes, “tank trap” ditch) remained in the landscape for decades.
Triple Murders (1995): The quiet country lanes by Rettendon became infamous in December 1995. Three known drug dealers (the “Essex Boys”) were shot dead in a Range Rover on Workhouse Lane (just off the A130) on the edge of the parish. This gangland execution, linked to the Leah Betts case, shocked the community. (The victims – Tony Tucker, Craig Rolfe and Pat Tate – were found in a blue Range Rover near Rettendon at dawn.) While not directly involving the church, the murders drew national attention to this rural area.
Local Development: In more recent history, Rettendon has expanded. A new village hall was built (late 20th c.), and some small housing developments appeared around Crouch View and Forge Lane. The historic character around the church is protected; the church, the Victorian Rettendon Place house, the stables, and nearby old farms are within a Conservation Area. (For example, Chelmsford’s heritage registry highlights the group of All Saints’ Church, Rettendon Place Farm, and the Bishop’s Stables as a coherent historic ensemble.)
Folklore and Legends
Local folklore is sparse, but one post-war occult account ties Herne the Hunter to the church. An esoteric article recalls a 1990 “psychic message” heard “beneath the tower of All Saints’ church, Rettendon” referring to “Heron, the Forest King”. This appears to conflate Herne (a spectre of Windsor Forest legend) with local place-names (Herongate and Horndon nearby). While no medieval legend of Herne is historically attested at Rettendon, the churchyard’s hilltop setting could have inspired local tales. No traditional saints’ cult or miracle stories are recorded for All Saints’ – the church’s patron “All Saints” is a generic dedication, common in Essex. Apart from the Herne/Heron anecdote, Rettendon’s folklore chiefly consists of rural superstitions and tales of ghosts at nearby Hyde Hall and other estates, rather than at the church itself.
Maps and Visual Records
Historic maps document the setting of All Saints. Late 18th–century maps (Chapman & André 1777) show the church atop a knoll with Rettendon Hall/Place beside it; the newer village road (A130) is absent. By the 19th century, Ordnance Survey maps mark “All Saints’ Church” on the hill and “Rettendon Place” farm buildings on the south side. A Victorian tithe map (c.1840) would show the church’s glebe fields (84 acres) surrounding the buildings, and delineate fields at Rettendon Place Farm. In modern times, aerial photos clearly show the church yard separated by field boundaries from the farm. Illustrations: A classic view of All Saints (c.1960s) shows the weathered flint walls and tower. Local archives also hold old prints of Rettendon Place and the cottages (e.g. 1930s photos of the farm’s brick house).
Sources
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