Church of St Mary the Virgin, Harlow

St Mary the Virgin Church stands in Latton, a village now part of Harlow in Essex. It is an Anglican church with a liberal catholic tradition and holds Grade I listed status. The building began as a Norman church in 1087, with a surviving Norman window and door arch. A west tower was added by 1234, and the church has been altered many times since. Two world wars and a V-1 bomb in 1945 caused damage, followed by a fire in 1964. Each event led to repairs and restorations, including a new vestry in 1971. The church is worth visiting for its long history and fine monuments. The altar tomb of Sir Peter Arderne and his wife has fine brass effigies from 1467. Other brasses and alabaster monuments show members of the Altham, Arkwright, and Lushington families. The church also contains wall tablets to vicars such as Thomas Denne from 1680. The Monuments Gallery displays these works alongside details of past vicars dating back to the 12th century. Inside, visitors find the Norman window and door arch still visible. The north chapel, completed in 1466, holds Sir Peter Arderne’s tomb. The church’s tower and nave show changes from the 16th to 19th centuries. Outside, the brick facing on the north wall dates from about 1800. The churchyard contains graves tended by parishioners, including one whose vigil helped stop the 1964 fire. The building remains a place of worship and quiet reflection.