Stambourne
Historical overview of St Peter & St Thomas’ Church Stambourne taken, with kind permission, from A Select Guide to Essex Churches And Chapels by members of the Friends of Essex Churches. Edited by John Fitch.
St Peter & St Thomas’ Church, Stambourne
“The massive, unbuttressed Norman west tower dominates as the church is approached from the road. Is is of rubble with some freestone on the west elevation near the top, and incorporates Roman brick in the windows (as in similar Great Tey), an, also like that tower, was given an embattled parapet in the fifteenth/sixteenth century. The tower arch has some decoration on north abacus. The church itself, nave, three bay north aisle, chancel and north chancel chapel, is fifteenth century and early sixteenth century (porch). This rebuilding is largely, if not all, due to the munificence of the MacWilliam family, whose arms are finely carved in stone in the arch of the north chancel chapel, and blazoned in the five-lighteast window, which, in opposite corners, depicts a MacWilliam husband and wide kneeling, c.1530. There are handsome double canopied niches in the splays of the two other windows. On the north side dado of the good but restored chancel screen are four well preserved painted features – left to right, a decapitated saint (Denys?) holding his mitred head in his hands, St George, St Edmund and a king, probably Edward the Confessor, with orb and sceptre. A fifteenth-century font, large chest and good Royal Arms (George III) are also to be noted.”