Church of St Andrew

St Andrew’s Church stands in the Essex village of Marks Tey. Built around 1100, its nave uses rubble, puddingstone and Roman bricks, perhaps taken from a nearby villa. The chancel was rebuilt in the 14th century with a sedilia for the clergy and a piscina for washing vessels. A blocked doorway shows where a rood screen once stood, topped by a cross. The west tower and small spire date from the 16th century, though they may replace a 14th-century predecessor. The church is worth the journey for its layers of history. The nave’s mixed materials date from the Norman period, while the chancel’s sedilia and piscina belong to the 1330s. The 16th-century tower and south porch add later craftsmanship, and the 17th-century font cover survives intact. A 19th-century restoration kept the building in use, and a Millennium window by Susan McCarthy ties the past to the present. Inside, the church offers quiet spaces shaped by centuries of worship. The Norman nave leads to the 14th-century chancel with its carved stone fittings. The 16th-century tower rises above the west end, and the south porch shelters visitors before they enter. The early 17th-century font cover stands near the entrance, while the Millennium window fills a clear space with colour and story. The village itself surrounds the church with fields and lanes unchanged in mood.