Historic churches · London
Greensted Church
Greensted Church — church in Greensted, Essex, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 30 min–1 h
- Nearest railway station
- Ongar · 1.3 km
- Free entry
About
Greensted Church is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1001. Constructed primarily of wood. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Named after Andrew the Apostle. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Greensted, Essex, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.7044°, 0.2256°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Greensted Church, in the small village of Greensted, near Chipping Ongar in Essex, England, has been claimed to be the oldest wooden church in the world, and probably the oldest wooden building in Europe still standing, albeit only in part, since few sections of its original wooden structure remain. The oak walls are often classified as remnants of a palisade church or, more loosely, as a kind of early stave church, dated either to the mid-9th or mid-11th century. The Grade I listed building lies about a mile west of Chipping Ongar town centre. Its full title is The Church of St Andrew, Greensted-juxta-Ongar. It is, however, commonly known simply as Greensted Church.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Greensted Church, in the small village of Greensted, near Chipping Ongar in Essex, England, has been claimed to be the oldest wooden church in the world, and probably the oldest wooden building in Europe still standing, albeit only in part, since few sections of its original wooden structure remain. The oak walls are often classified as remnants of a palisade church or, more loosely, as a kind of early stave church, dated either to the mid-9th or mid-11th century. The Grade I listed building lies about a mile west of Chipping Ongar town centre. Its full title is The Church of St Andrew, Greensted-juxta-Ongar. It is, however, commonly known simply as Greensted Church. Greensted is still a functioning church and holds services every week.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
window depicting St Edmund]] Greensted Church has possibly stood for nearly 1,200 years. Dendrochronology estimated its construction to 845 AD; a later analysis has reset the date of the timbers to 1053 (+10/55 years). Archaeological evidence suggests that, before there was a permanent structure, there may have been another church, or a holy place, on the site. Construction of the first permanent church on this site is thought to have begun shortly after Cedd began his conversion of the East Saxons around 654. The archaeological remnants of two simple wooden buildings were discovered under the present chancel floor, and these are thought to have been built in the late 6th or early 7th…
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.7044, 0.2256
- County
- Essex
- District
- Epping Forest
- Parish
- Ongar
- Postcode
- CM5 9LD
- Parliamentary constituency
- Brentwood and Ongar
- Established
- 1001
- Nearest railway station
- Ongar — 1.3 km
- Official site
- www.greenstedchurch.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q2294625 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Greensted Church (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: 'Church of St Andrew' Greensted, Ongar, Essex England - from the south-west.JPG (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Loading nearby places…
Nearby
📷 5Historic houses · London
Greensted Hall
Greensted Hall — Country House in Essex, England, UK.
📷 5Towns & cities · London
Greensted
Greensted — village in Essex, United Kingdom.
📷 5Heritage railways · London
Epping Ongar Railway
Epping Ongar Railway is a heritage railway in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Heritage railways · London
Epping Ongar Railway
Epping Ongar Railway is a heritage railway in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Heritage railways · London
Epping Ongar Railway
Epping Ongar Railway is a heritage railway in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Heritage railways · London
Epping Ongar Railway
Epping Ongar Railway is a heritage railway in the United Kingdom.
Other places from this era
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Hallows-by-the-Tower
All Hallows-by-the-Tower — church in the City of London, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Saints Church, West Farleigh
All Saints Church, West Farleigh — Grade I listed church in West Farleigh, Maidstone, Kent, England, UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Saints' Church, Huntingdon
All Saints' Church, Huntingdon — Grade I listed church in Huntingdonshire, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic churches · London
Chapel of St Helen, Wicken Bonhunt
Chapel of St Helen, Wicken Bonhunt — church building in Wicken Bonhunt, Uttlesford, Essex, England, UK.
More places in this region
📷 5Historic churches · London
Abney Park Chapel
Abney Park Chapel — grade II listed church in the London Borough of Hackney, England,UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
Albion Chapel
Albion Chapel — church in London, UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Hallows Bread Street
All Hallows Bread Street — church in City of London, UK.
📷 5Historic churches · London
All Hallows Honey Lane
All Hallows Honey Lane — church in City of London, UK.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Greensted Church?
- Greensted Church is in Essex, London, United Kingdom (postcode CM5 9LD), in the parish of Ongar.
- When was Greensted Church built?
- Built or established in 1001.
- Who owns Greensted Church?
- Greensted Church is owned by Church of England.
- Is Greensted Church a listed building?
- Greensted Church is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
- Is Greensted Church free to visit?
- Yes, Greensted Church is free to enter.
- How do I get to Greensted Church?
- The nearest railway station is Ongar, about 1.3 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CM5 9LD.