A bright, almost full moon rising behind the spire of St. Laurence & All Saints Church, Eastwood, Southend, Essex, UK
St Laurence and All Saints is a Grade I listed medieval church in the parish of Eastwood, Essex, England which has been under threat from plans to expand London Southend Airport. The church has been described as "one of the finest and most important small medieval churches in South Essex, and of exceptional architectural, archaeological and historical significance". Notable features include the complex plan form and development, Norman font and doors with original fittings and the medieval woodwork including a priest's room. The site is also of "considerable, possibly exceptional, archaeological significance" The church is situated to the east of Eastwood which is now a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, a large urban conurbation on the Thames estuary, which is part of the Thames Gateway regeneration project. The church stands in Eastwoodbury Lane, close to its junction with Aviation Way; Eastwoodbury Lane crosses directly under the flight path into the main runway of Southend Airport. To the east, the churchyard borders on the wire fence at the boundary of the airport with aircraft regularly landing close to the church. The first known record of the church is in 1100 when Robert Fitz Suen (Robert d'Essex) gave the chapels of Eastwood, Sutton and Prittlewell to the Prior of Prittlewell. It is evident that there was a church at Eastwood before that date; this was probably the present Norman nave with a small apsidal chancel. The antiquity of the site is borne out by the presence of a sarsen stone built into the walls. There are claims that this is the remains from when the site was used for pagan worship. The nave is 12th-century in origin, with Norman window openings in the north wall. The south aisle was added in the 13th century and the north aisle in the 14th. The chancel is 13th-century, with a 14th-century roof. The broach spire was repaired by the Canadian Government after WWII as a lasting memorial to airmen who had flown from Southend during the war.
Size: 3047px × 4600px
Location: Eastwood, Southend, Essex, UK
Photo credit: © Avpics / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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