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Ruined or Disused Churches
Ever since St Cedd built his chapel in AD654 churches have been erected throughout the area.
Some churches fell into disrepair and have been demolished or had their materials used to build a new church.
Other churches such as Woodham Mortimer have been constructed on the site of an earlier church.
Listed below are details of some of the ruined churches.
Althorne- Methodist Chapel
Built in 1865 the chapel suffered from declining congregations and is now a house.
Asheldham - St Lawrence
This 14th century church ceased use in 1986 due to a dwindling congregation and is now used as a youth centre.
Burnham on Crouch - Methodist Chapel
The Primitive Methodists had a chapel in Albert Road which was closed in 1984 when the Methodist congregation joined the URC and used their church in Station Road.
The chapel was nicknamed the four of diamonds after the pattern on its wall.
Today the Chapel is used as a house.
Burnham on Crouch - other closed chapels
Strict Baptist Church in Belvedere Road
Mission hall - next to Redward Cottages, Burnham marshes- This was used as extra accommodation at Burnham URC church but was demolished recently
Salvation Army Citadel - Station Road - This is now the site of Tesco's car park
Hazeleigh - St Nicholas
The church was sited next to Old Hall at Hazeleigh hall lane, Hazeleigh. There is some doubt about the date that it was built although parish registers date back to 1575. There is mention of a Rector in 1390 although this may have referred to a chapel on the site, which would have been attached to Woodham Mortimer Church.
Construction was of lathe and plaster over a timber frame although the church was small in size.
By the late 19th century a new iron chapel had been erected in the populated part of Hazeleigh, which left the isolated church with a dwindling congregation.
By 1900 the church was declared as dilapidated beyond repair having sunk to the south and west sides causing internal problems. The last service was held in 1906 and a public meeting in 1923 agreed to demolish the church.
The new iron church was also demolished and the responsibility adopted by Woodham Mortimer Church.
The site is now covered by woodland although a few headstones are still to be seen.
Latchingdon - Lawling Chapel
Archbishop Lafrane founded a chapel in the late 11th century near to Lawling Hall , Latchingdon. The chapel was believed to have been ruined before 1650.
Latchingdon Chapel
Now a house
Latchingdon - St Michaels Church
St Michael's Church was buiult in 1618 and used as the parish church for Snoreham and Latchingdon.
The develeopment of the main village a few miles away in the 1800's led to the building of a new church in the village in 1898 and the subsequent closure of this church.
The Church still stands although it has been converted into a private house although the adjoining graveyard still is in use.
Mayland
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The original church was sited at Mayland Hill about 100 yards from the present church.
The date of building is unknown although the church bell has been dated as 1662, church plate as 1568 and the surviving parish registers start at 1748.
Few records survive although it is known that the church was wooden framed with a shingle spire and three bells.
The church was demolished with the approval of the Bishop of Rochester in 1873 with the material sold to builders.
By 1867 the new church was erected nearly.
The site is now part of private land although some headstones can be seen from the roadside.
Snoreham (Latchingdon)
Snoreham was a parish which was later combined with Latchingdon.
The church was erected by the Grey Family in the 14th century on land next to Snoreham Hall. in Rectory Road, Latchingdon.
The church quickly deteriorated and by the mid 1700's was beyond use and used as part of the farming at Snoreham Hall.
Southminster - Baptist Chapel
Built in 1861 - Now used as a house
Steeple - Peculiar Peoples Chapel
The chapel was erected in 1877 at a time that strict religion was attracting large congregations. By the mid 1900's the congregation dwindled and in the mid 1950's the chapel was sold for housing.
Steeple - St Lawrence and All Saints
A church stood on the site next to Steeple Hall since Saxon times.
The date of the church is not known although material taken from the ruins has been dated as 12th and 14th centuries.
The church deteriorated over a long period with damage reported as early as 1564. The church continued in use until 1882 when the building was demolished and much of the material used in construction of the current church in the Street, Steeple.
The church was a small single storey building with a porch to the south.
Stansgate Abbey
Founded before 1121 by Radulf Filius Brientii as a Cluniac Priory
The Abbey was dedicated to St Mary Magdalen and served as parish church for Steeple until its closure in 1524.
Stansgate fell victim to politics when in 1524 Cardinal Wolseley obtained a papal bull closing a number of religious houses including Stansgate and then persuaded King Henry VII to use the money raised by closure to found Christchurch College at Oxford.
The last remains were finally destroyed in 1922.
Woodham Walter
- St Michael
The church was sited inside the moat of the Old Hall.
The first mention of the old church was of building work carried out in 1454.
The new church was built in 1564 although the reason that the old church was disused is not known - it may have been damage, it may have been no longer convenient for the population or it may just have been a nuisance to the occupant of Old Hall.
In the late 17th century the Old Hall was in turn demolished leaving no trace of either building today.
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