New conservation project at the oldest ‘Stave Built’ timber building in Europe – St Andrew’s Church in Greensted-Juxta-Ongar

Situated deep in the Essex countryside lies the Grade I Listed building of Greensted Church, an ancient place of worship which has the distinction of being the oldest wooden church in the world. In partnership with Lime Studio, USL is pleased to start a new conservation project including restoration repairs to the chancel roof and masonry. The church represents some 1300 years of English history and Christian worship.

The Quinquennial Inspection Report in 2020 and a subsequent detailed survey of the chancel roof identified needed repairs.  This ancient church is known to be the oldest wooden building in Europe with a nave dating back to between 998 and 1063 AD (albeit only in part, since few sections of its original wooden structure remain).

A unique structure, the vertical split oak, log walls of the nave are said to have been dated by the dendro-magnetic method to 845 AD.  St. Edmund's body reputedly rested here c.1013 whilst on its journey to Bury St. Edmunds (King of East Anglia). The Church was re-roofed during the reign of Henry VII and heavily restored and underpinned in 1837/48.

Our conservation team will be undertaking stone cleaning, masonry rebuilding and repairs, leadwork improvements including new replacements and painting with SmartWater (security coding paint), roofing repairs, rainwater goods refurbishment, redecoration and window repairs. The church will remain open for services and visitors.

This church is supported by the National Churches Trust.

https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/st-andrew-greensted

To find out more about this fascinating piece of history, please visit the church website at: http://www.greenstedchurch.org.uk/index.html

PHOTO REFERENCE: 

Below we have included pre-works conditions and photos of the scaffolding going up.

Have a look at the timber detail - The 51 timber planks you see here today date from about 1060, although excavations undertaken in the chancel in 1960 revealed the existence of two earlier timber structures dating from the 6th, and 7^th centuries, around the time that St. Cedd began his work of converting the Saxons to Christianity. The church bears witness to the work of Saxon, Norman, Tudor and Victorian builders who variously extended, repaired and restored the building over the ages.