In The Beginning
In August 1158 Henry II gave the Monastery of St Nicholas and St Bernard in
Montjoux (later to become famous for its St Bernard dogs) a grant of land in
Havering worth twenty-five pounds a year. By 1163 they are known to have built a
church on the site. Records show that a grant was made in 1243 to "the
church of St Andrew's Havering" and it is thought that the present nave
arcades date from this period of rebuilding. This is also the first written
reference to the church's dedication.
In 1391, due to strife between the Church and Crown, Richard II confiscated
the Priory of Havering. William of Wykeham, Bishop of Winchester and former
Chancellor, who in later, life deserted politics for scholarship, purchased the
Priory church with all its lands and manor houses to endow his New College at
Oxford.
The present church is built of septaria and ragstone with some brick. The
north wall contains a great many bottles, placed both neck and base outwards.
These form an interesting and unexpected addition to the masonry. The four bays
and cylindrical columns with moulded capitals in the nave together with the
triple sedilia, piscina and hagioscope date back to the mid 13th century. The
tower is believed to have been built by William of Wykeham and the fact that it
closely resembles that at New College, Oxford supports this theory. At the top
of the west face of the stair turret is a weathered figure of a seated bishop
which is thought to represent William of Wykeham.
The Bulls Head
The horned bulls head on the east end of the chancel is an unusual feature to
find on a church, as horns are more generally associated with the devil. It is
tempting to assume that because the village was called Hornhurch an imaginative
mason added the carving as a humourous touch. However, it would seem to have
been the other way round as the first written reference in 1222 refers to
monasterium cornutum or horned church or monastry at Havering. It has also been
suggested that they were derived from the seal of the Abbey of Montjoux, but
there is no real evidence to support this. The first reference to the horns on
the east end of the church is in 1610 when they were said to be made of lead.
When they were repaired in 1824 they were found to be of copper. It is
reasonable to suppose they had been replaced during the intervening 200 years,
but neither mentions the stone head, merely the horns. The clock bell is
inscribed in Latin "The gift of Thomas Brandon to the Horned Church in the
county of Essex May 20 1674”. There are numerous legends and theories to
explain their existence and whilst the truth may remain obscure the head forms a
unique feature on our church.
In 1999 the copper horns were stolen from the bulls head. The horns are
priceless and were never recovered. The Horns were replaced in 2001 allowing
Hornchurch to live up to it's name.
Litch Gate
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