Greensted | A Saxon Building in UK,the Oldest Wooden Church in the World.

Discovering a beautiful example od architecture in Greensted,  a remote pleasant hamlet of Great Britain  is something of extremely fascinating and great taking in  consideration the small size of that place but boasting in its boundaries a superb  Saxon Building, historic patrimony in UK  consisting in the Oldest Wooden Church in the World.


That masterpiece is located along Church Lane, Greensted-juxta-Ongar in the verdant county of Essex one of the most charming southeastern territories of Great Britain highlighted by a magnificent countryside and many historic events closely linked to the British Royal family.

St.Andrew Church as it known that architectural wonder is located at approximaterly 3,0 kilometres from  Chipping Ongar, a historic place which was in the past a relevant market town close to Epping Forest one of the favorite hunting destinations of the English Monarchy centuries ago.

That territory was since centuries ago a stronghold of the first Saxons who landed on the British coasts from Northern Germany concretely from  that land known as Sachsen today corresponding to a large area around the notorious city of Dresden  but which in the past included the lands of Westphalia and the  territories of the current Bremen/Oldenburg Region.

Closely related to that  it is Well known as the Saxon Church and  it is certainly a great attraction and incentive for many tourists visiting the United Kingdom  considering that it is just one hour driving from London downtown and not far from Stansted Airport.

That site is in its kind a shining gem to add as a significant cultural and historic  stage during a planned Fly & Drive including the British Capital with a very easy drop off of the vehicle with the chance to take home with you the image and the memories of a relevant highlight of the history of the country.

That magnificent example of wooden Religious construction is very similar in many aspects to those you can admire in the cradle of that kind of jewels part of the historic heritage of a beautiful Nordic country as Norway.

At first sight you will not have hesitation to compare that architectural diamond  as a "sister"of those marvellous Scandinavian Sacred temples  denominated  Stavkirchen well known all around the world and outstanding symbol of the land of the fjords.

Many are the concepts in terms of execution and elements inserted in the layout  in common and closely related to those famed and beautiful Norwegian masterpiceces and  also for that a unique marvel of England as something of magically transporterd from that land of Northern Europe to England and several are also the historic legendary and suggestive events which took place in that Sacred Temple.
  
It is believed that the construction of the first permanent Church on that site have begun shortly after St.Cedd when he started the conversion of the Saxons in the 7th century..That character was a Saxon trained in the monastery at Lindisfarne sent south to convert the pagans in the land of their East Reign corersponding to he current Essex County.

Some archaeological rests were discovered consisting of two simple wooden buildings under the floor and it is believed that they wereestablished  in the late 6th or early 7th century. The Church of Greensted is in  that place for almost 1200 years but archaeological evidence suggests that there was a permanent previous building probably another Religious site or a sacred sanctuary, possibly dated the 4th century.

The dedication St. Andrew  Church suggests a Celt origin of the original sanctuary and it is said that the body o the emblematicf King Edmund of East Anglia well known as Edmund the Martyr according to  an old recorded document was deposited for one night in that site before to be buried at Beadoriceworth, the current Bury St Edmunds a beautiful town of Suffolk. 

That iconic figure in his time was  highly regarded by many people as a generous Monarch for the several donations of food to his vassals and the poor population  and he  died in 870 at Hoxne killed by the Danes.
 
  Another relevant element you can see near the porch,it is a large flat cover stoned marks  which is the resting place of an unknown crusader. It is said that knight  reached Greensted,badly wounded and he died in that place.The fact that it is made of stone,material non-local, and which was placed against the south wall suggests that that figure was considered someone very important or a hero and there is a mystical mystery around his true name and identity.

 The traditional architectural stlye distinctive example of a Nordic shaped temple archetype which has been considered Saxon,but really you could classify it as Saxon-Norman Church for some details and arrangements of the Normans who kept the major part of the details inserted in the layout of the structure adding some further elements during their rule.

At first the Curch consisted in a building arranged on a long rectangular plan with a nave communicating with a head wall presbytery of rectum,a simple structure which was extended with a third space consisting in a tower probably added or restored when the Normans conquered the area.

There are so many links to consider that Church a of sister of a Norske Stavkirke and also linked to the Saxon and Norman architecture. The oak palisade walls are often classified as remnants of a so called Palisadekirke or a primitive type of stave Church, dated either in the 9th century and also built in the 11th century.

The traditional Stavkirke technical was basically a kind of wooden structure developed as legacy between the Vikings and other Northern people among them the Saxons and first ancestors of the Normans who inherited that style of construction in the exterior executions but also with strong inspirations about  the interior arrangements in some sections too.

Originally that kind of construction was a display of amazing technical skills,with an intricate system and precise structural details gave those wooden Churches durability to resist centuries and very strong against possible deteriorations of the materials used during the construction.

There was since that period an almost perfect choice of the best timber and the various elements were placed  to establish a very resistent structural body of the building and clever plan carefully studied in the composition of the roof, all those details are extremely confirmed in St. Andrew Church.The nave walls,were built from vertically split oak logs and held in place by an oak sill and also all that is higlighted in the building you can see nowadays. 

That construction during its history and after centuries has had restorarions especially in 1848 when a brick plinth was added to strengthen the walls.Other highlights of that magnificent religious pearl are the Tudor dormer and the brick chancel dated the early 16th century.

Another interesting detail is the so-called Leper's Squint on the north side.That small opening in the wall of oak was thought previously to be a place through which the lepers who could not go to Church with the rest of the population to receive a blessing by the priest,although it is believed today that it is instead a holy water font.

The work of rebuilding and restorations in England in Victorian style in the 19th century added some detailed workings brick elements,  some of them in the old structures were mainly added to ornate and used as exterior decorations,mainly in walls and porticos.

It is really great to discover architectural masterpieces in that area of England called Essex a land  very rich of beautiful historical monuments connected to different civilisations,in this case of Greensted Saxons and Normans who came to England many centuries ago, leaving architectonic influences and marks of great importance and value and Colchester not far from that site with its emblematic castle is  clear example, a centre I suggest you to visit.

I added some links below including some recommended accommodations in the case you want to stay not far from that great attraction if you are planning next holidays to that area of England.

You can admire today a good number of them in that geographic area  really unique as the Church of St,.Andrew an iconic  Saxon building in UK boasting the superb award to be the oldest wooden Church in the world, a  place highly  reecommended to visit and remember with extreme pleasure for a long time.


Francesco Mari


Recommended Accommodations in the proximity

Elmocroft Guest House  
Marygreen Manor Hotel 
Down Hall Country House Hotel 


Useful links

www.greenstedchurch.org.uk
 www.visitessex.com
www.essextouristguide.com
www.marygreenmanor.co.uk
www.elmcroftepping.co.uk
www.downhall.co.uk