St Mary and All Saints Church, Essex.

This church, like so many churches across Britain has a long history, it dates back to pre-history. In 1848 while a grave was being dug a Roman villa was uncovered on the site. In 1971 another small excavation was carried out against the south wall of the chancel showed evidence of a pre-historic occupation of the site dating from the late Iron Age. The Roman villa was from the century A.D. The foundations of the Church was showed it to be of two periods Saxon and 14th century. This is what makes the church A Grade 1
The Western of Rivenhall were a family of London merchants who settled in Essex in the last quarter of the 17th century. The fine monument in the church is of Sir Ralph Wiseman and his wife dated from 1594 and with several tombs to members of the Western family including the William Western died 22 September 1729.

I would love to know what brought the pre- history people to the spot where the church was built. There must have been something which gave them a sense of place of belonging.