
The world’s oldest wooden church has been standing for over 1200 years – which is wildly impressive considering that I can’t even stand for the length of a Tube journey without complaining. So hopefully I’ll manage to bag myself a seat when paying a visit to this ancient wooden church, because – believe it or not – it’s just a simple hop, skip and a jump journey on the Central Line away from the capital city.
Greensted Church is located in the teeny-tiny village of Greensted near Epping (the station that sits very conveniently at the end of the Central Line). It’s official title is The Church of St Andrew, Greensted-juxta-Ongar – but that’s a tad wordy, so it’s (understandably) more commonly known as Greensted Church. With parts of its structure dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries, the church has well-and-truly stood the test of time. And it’s still to this day a fully-functioning church, holding weekly services and various tours and visits.
The history of Greensted Church
There’s no exact date that the Grade I listed church was built, but the estimated construction date is 845AD. Excavations over the years, however, have discovered timber planks that date all the way back to the 6th and 7th centuries. So, in a nutshell, it’s pretty darn old. Only a few sections of the building’s original structure remain, due to reconstruction work done over the years – but enough remains for it to boast the title of the oldest wooden church in the world, and it’s quite possibly Europe’s oldest wooden building altogether. The various restoration work over the centuries means that the church’s structure is a rather unique blend of Saxon, Norman, Tudor, and Victorian building work.
Greensted Church has had some fairly impressive claims to fame over the years. The body of King Edmund the Martyr of East Anglia is said to have rested at Greensted Church on route to the reburial in Bury St Edmonds in 1013, and the church was also featured on a British postage stamp in 1972. Just to name a couple of items on its rather admirable CV.
Find out more about the church and plan your visit here.
đź“Ť Church Lane, Ongar, CM5 9LD.
🚇 Nearest station is Epping.