St Mary's Church, Chadwell-St-Mary

There has been a church in Chadwell since before the Norman conquest. The present church is on the top of Chadwell Hill - possibly on the site of the original Saxon church. The nave is Norman, the chancel is fourteenth century and the tower was built around 1500. High on the northwest corner of the tower a face that looks out across the landscape. According to Glynn Morgan (Forgotten Thameside) a "medieval mason, in an endvevour to scare away the evil that came from the north, carved his ugliest gargoyles on this side". But the face is not especially ugly. In anycase, a similar (though more weathered) face was found in the church yard and can now be seen in Thurrock Museum. This suggests that at one time there were similar figures on all four corners of the tower.

The church has a 17th century memorial brass.

For more information about the parish click here