The church is built of ragstone rubble with some flint and has limestone dressings there is also some Roman and Tudor brickwork. The broach spire was restored in the late 20th century. ![]() There were extensive works within the church in the 1870s when it was thoroughly restored by William White, including new seating. The brick south porch was added in the 16th century. The chancel is 13th-century, with a 14th-century roof. The south aisle was added in the 13th century and the north aisle in the 14th. The nave is 12th-century in origin, with Norman window openings in the north wall. The early development of the church is still not completely understood. There are claims that this is the remains from when the site was used for pagan worship. The antiquity of the site is borne out by the presence of a sarsen stone built into the walls. 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. when Robert Fitz Suen (Robert d'Essex) gave the chapels of Eastwood, Sutton and Prittlewell to the Prior of Prittlewell. The first known record of the church is in 1100 A.D. In the course of the centuries this parish of 3,000 acres, with its scattered population, changed from woodland to an agricultural parish and today to a largely built-up area. The Bristow family purchased the estate and held it until 1866 when it was sold in lots: "Eastwoodbury", the large house which stood immediately to the east of the Church, was on the site of the original Manor house. In 1536, during the Reformation, the Manor was given by Edward VI to Lord Rich whose descendants became Earls of Warwick, then by marriage it passed to the Earl of Nottingham. Henry VIII was the last king known to have hunted here and Eastwood Lodge was the centre of the last reserved portion of hunting land. In the 13th century, the English Kings would often visit the district for hunting, making Hadleigh Castle their residence. After this date the manor was generally held by the Crown. Suen's son, Robert of Essex, founded Prittlewell Priory in the year 1100, but his grandson, Henry of Essex, forfeited all his estates to the Crown in 1163, after being charged with treason and cowardice in battle. The village is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Estwa", and was held by Suen of Essex, whose father Robert had held it during the reign of Edward the Confessor. ![]() History Eastwood Įastwood took its name from its situation on the eastern side of the woods and parkland of Rayleigh and Thundersley which were part of the Great Forest of Essex. ![]() 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 church stands in Eastwoodbury Lane, close to its junction with Aviation Way Eastwoodbury Lane once crossed directly under the flight path into the main runway of Southend Airport until the runway was extended when a new road named St Laurence Way was built to allow cars to pass the end of the newly extended runway. 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 site is also of "considerable, possibly exceptional, archaeological 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 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". 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.
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