Essex is fond of groups of villages with a common name; there are three Layers, three Tolleshunts, four Colnes, and three Teys to mention a few. There were three Wigboroughs - Great Wigborough, Little Wigborough and Salcott Wigborough. What we now generally know as Salcott was formerly a hamlet of Great Wigborough and as it was so far from the mother church of Great Wigborough and separated by a creek. a chapel-of-ease was built at Salcott Wigborough for the people there, but served by the Rector of Great Wigborough.

Salcott is recorded in 1317 as being a market town with paved streets. Its people felt they should have a Rector of their own. so in 1372 a request for this was made to the Bishop of London - Essex was then in that Diocese. A commission was set up, depositions were made by local inhabitants but no change appears to have been made - Salcott remaining a chapel to Great Wigborough until the 19th. century. About 1480 a Chantry was founded in the Church by John Baron with a Chantry Priest to sing Mass and administer the Sacraments, but this was all dissolved circa 1550 in the reign of Edward VI. The plate was confiscated and the chantry lands were given to John Raynforth who also stole the Church bells. It is stated that at that time there were 140 'Houseling people' (communicants).

The Church stands at the eastern end of Salcott Street with the creek only a short distance to the north. It consists of a chancel, nave, south porch, and west tower of flint, rubble, and septaria, with dressings of limestone. The roofs are tiled. Like the two other Wigborough churches this one also suffered severely in the earthquake of 1884 and had to be drastically restored in 1893. At that date it consisted only of the west tower, south porch and a short nave as at some earlier date the chancel had been demolished and a plain wall of timber and plaster with a small domestic-looking square framed window inserted at the east end of the nave.

Virley is just to the north of Salcott Creek. The Church had been declared unsafe in 1879, when the last service was held there, and the earthquake had done further damage to it. The Parishes of Salcott Wigborough and Virley were united by an Order in Council of June 1879, and Salcott/Wigborough Church became the Parish Church for both Salcott and Virley. It was decided, therefore, that the restoration of Salcott Church should include the lengthening of the Nave and the rebuilding of the Chancel on the original foundations. This was done in the years 1892 to 1893 at a cost of £1,446.

The best feature of the Church - the embattled knapped-flint tower of the late 15th. century in the perpendicular style - was tha least damaged and remains. The old north wall of the nave had to be rebuilt with the old materials; modern windows and the blocked north doorway incorporate some 14th. century worked stones. The south wall was also partly rebuilt but retains as the middle window a 14th. century window of two pointed lights. The south doorway is early 16th. century with four-centred arch in a square head, the spandrels being carved with blank shields and foliage. The attractive open chancel is all modern. The early 16th. century south porch built of large blocks of stone was carefully restored and a new gable of flint panelling built. The roof is modern and the tiles have recently been relaid also the interior has been decorated

The restoration of the Church and rebuilding of the Chancel was by the well-known Essex architect, Frederick Chancellor of Chelmsford. The Church was reconsecrated by the Bishop of St. Albans on Tuesday, June 13th. 1893. (The Church was then in the Diocese of St. Alban's. In 1914 the Diocese of Chelmsford was founded and the Church has been in that Diocese since that time.)

FITTINGS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST

THE RUINED CHURCH OF ST. MARY THE VIRGIN, VIRLEY

The ruins of Virley Church c1925

Virley Church is now a ruin in the grounds of the Old Rectory. The last service was held in it in 1879. It consisted of a chancel (20ft by 14ft) and a nave (19ft wide) which had probably been shortened at some time. At the west end of the nave was a very simple wooden bell turret. The nave and chancel were probably built early in the 13th. century of rubble mixed with some Roman brick. The chief feature now left is the 13th. century chancel arch and some of the side walls - all partly covered with ivy.

The Church was declared unsafe in 1879 and in 1884 the Earthquake did further serious damage to it so the roof was removed and the walls allowed to stand in a ruinous condition.

Read more:
Salcot Church c1830
Chantry at Salcott-Wigborough
Salcott Coffin-Slab
Salcott War Memorial
Salcott and Virley - Essex Countryside
Salcott and Virley by George Biddell 1933
Pictures of Salcott village

Wigborough Village

More Local Churches
More Salcott history