St. Mary's Church, Walthamstow

St. Mary's Church, Walthamstow
View of St. Mary's Church from Vinegar Alley
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
Administration
Diocese	Chelmsford

Coordinates: 51°35′2″N 0°0′40″W / 51.58389°N 0.01111°W / 51.58389; -0.01111

St. Mary’s Church, Walthamstow, is in Walthamstow Village, a conservation area in Walthamstow, London. It was founded in the 12th century and is still a working church. It retains over one hundred and fifty brasses and monuments, the oldest dating from 1436, though all that now remains of the original Norman church is some pillar bases and the chisel marks on them.

The first church building on the site was constructed in the 12th century, and measured about 15 metres by 8 metres (46 feet by 24 feet) with a sanctuary or chancel of unknown size at the east end. It was probably built of flint rubble and stood where the present nave now stands.

It is believed that the north aisle of the church was rebuilt in the 13th century and the south aisle in the 14th century, both extending east only as far as the current chancel arch. In the 15th century a tower was added at the west end and the chancel was also extended eastward.

In 1535, Sir George Monoux, Alderman of London and Master of the Worshipful Company of Drapers, one of the guilds of the City of London, repaired the north aisle and built a chapel on the east end of it running along the north wall of the chancel. At the same time, Monoux demolished the top 12 meters (40 feet) of the tower and rebuilt it in Tudor brick, adding a spiral stairway in a turret at the south-east corner of the tower. In the same year, money from Robert Thorne (a wealthy London merchant who, like Monoux, originated from Bristol and became Lord Mayor of the City of London) was used to completely rebuild the south aisle and to add a chapel on its eastern end.