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St George's Church, Great Bromley
S George the Martyr in the Bromleys, a Church of England parish in the diocese of Chelmsford,
under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Colchester and within a united benefice with S Mary the Virgin Ardleigh
To obtain information about our church please click on the appropriate options below:
- The Church Building
- How to Reach Us
- Who's Who
- Forthcoming Services
- Other Church Activities
- Benefice News
- The American Connection
The Church Building
Great Bromley Church, sometimes proudly called the Cathedral of the Tendring Hundred,
is a fine example of East Anglian gothic architecture of the 14th and 15th centuries.
Its oldest parts are the South aisle (including the entrance doorway within the porch),
the south arcade of the nave and the chancel.
These are of the 14th century (though the chancel was much restored and altered in the 19th C).
The massive tower, the north aisle and north arcade of the nave, the south chapel and the
south porch are of the 15th century.
The clerestory windows ranged above the arches of the nave were built in about 1500,
as was the magnificent double hammerbeam roof that spans the nave.
The tower and the oaken hammerbeam roof structure (one of the best examples of its kind)
are the chief glories of the building but the south porch and other parts of the exterior
show fine examples of knapped flint "flushwork", with traceried panels.
Above the porch entrance stand the figures of the church's patron, St George and his dragon. Figures of Adam and Eve are set above the wonderfully carved doorway inside the south porch. The west doors, which must once have been almost as wonderful, are now much weathered. The south arcade carved capitals of the nave have now partly broken stone leaves with the fascinating capital of the western column with its mixture of human, animal, devilish and heavenly figures. In the south chapel stand the memorials to young members of the Hanson family who lived in Great Bromley Hall (now Seven Rivers Cheshire Home). Notice that the gallantry of one of these young men, killed in the Peninsular War, was so conspicuous as to be recognised by the enemy's Marshal Suchet. Then turn back the strip of carpet to see the brass effigy of William Bischopton, a Rector who died in 1432, with the words "Mother of God, remember me" issuing from his mouth: there is information about the brass on the wall nearby. Adjoining is the now barely legible grave slab of Sir Thomas Bowes, a notorious 17th century persecutor of supposed witches.
On the wall of the south aisle, try to decipher the memorial inscription to John Hubbard (1537)
with the doubtful number of his wives. In the southern niche stands a modern statue depicting
S George and the Dragon by Shirley Morrison in cold cast bronze.
The roof of the south aisle has fine timbers and carvings, and at the exposed lower steps of the stairway which once gave access to the top of the now vanished rood screen and candlebeam which divided the nave from the chancel and supported a great cross of Christ, to honour which the eastern bays of the hammerbeam roof were painted with colours still visible after 500 years.
Beneath the tower you can crane your neck to see where the hats of former bell-ringers are hung, noting that in the tower above them there is a mighty and still frequently sounded ring of bells, the oldest of which was cast in 1717.
This page can offer no more than the briefest of notes for casual visitors. Copies of a more detailed guide can be purchased in the church.
How to Reach Us
By road
The Church is situated at the junction of Badley Hall Road and Brook Street, in the centre of Great Bromley village next to the school.
From the north get to CAMBRIDGE then you can either come North of CAMBRIDGE on the A14 then A12 to COLCHESTER or South of CAMBRIDGE on the A120 to COLCHESTER
The simplest way is to come along the A12, from London or Ipswich and at COLCHESTER take the A120 to HARWICH.
Take the first left the A133 to CLACTON and at the first roundabout turn right towards ELMSTEAD.
At the first crossroads turn right towards GREAT BROMLEY & ARDLEIGH .
At the end of that road, go straight over between the Old Court House pub and the garage.
Continue down the hill and into the village.
You will see the Church ahead and then on your right. You can pull into the meadow there; the Rectory is the first house next to the Church.
If you come to Seven Rivers Home or exit the village centre you've gone too far!
By Train
A good train service operates from London Liverpool Street Station to Colchester or Manningtree stations. A taxi service is available from both stations.
How to contact us
PCC Secretary (Mrs M Bromfield)
4 St George's Close
Great Bromley
Colchester CO7 7HZ
Telephone 01206 230089
email: mrbromfield @ tiscali.co.uk
Who's Who
| Rector | Father Robert Farrell | 01206 231923 |
| Churchwardens | Mrs B Hall | 01206 230673 |
| Mr J Wild | 01206 230679 | |
| Secretary | Mrs M Bromfield | 01206 230089 |
| Treasurer | Mr G Everington | |
| Sacristan & Verger | Mrs A Wild | 01206 230679 |
| Organist | Mr G Frostick | 01473 424469 |
| Flowers | Mrs A Wild | 01206 230679 |
| Bells | Mr D Wenden | 01206 250260 |
| Youth Co-ordinator | Mrs A Watts | 01206 |
Forthcoming Services
The current list of services can be downloaded here in Acrobat PDF format.
Not got a PDF reader? Download the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe (28MB).
Other Church Activities
Housechurches
Each month there are a series of groups that meet in homes in the parish to deepen our understanding of Christian living in the 21st century. Past topics include Bible Studies, the Make Poverty History Campaign, the Sacraments, Being Church.
Little Footsteps
At 9am on Thursdays during term time in S Mary's Ardleigh; a group for pre-school children and their parents/carers
Sunday Church Club
We welcome people of all ages to our Sunday worship. The Sunday Church Club meets during the 10.30am parish Eucharist for children of school age to help them to worship and become full members of the Church.
The MAGI
Mary's and George's Investigators are youngsters in Year 6+ who meet Thursdays 5.15pm in the Rectory, to seek to find God and explore what it means to be a disciple of His Son.
Benefice News
The latest benefice news can be downloaded here in Acrobat PDF format.
Not got a PDF reader? Download the free Acrobat Reader from Adobe (28MB).
The American Connection
In 1634 the two brothers Stone who farmed in this area emigrated to the New World.
In the ship The Increase, they sailed from Ipswich with their wives and families ranging from one month old to 16 years,
landing in Massachusetts in April three months later. They settled in Watertown and there they prospered in farming and
multiplied, their descendants spreading all over the United States. They both became Deacons of their new Church
having eschewed the traditional rites of the Church of England.
Their descendants formed a Stone Association in 1897 and undertook a comprehensive family census, resulting in
J Gardner Bartlett publishing two 800 page volumes. In 1904 the Association commissioned and installed the Stone
family Window to be seen on the north side of the Church. This was executed by Harvey and Ashby of Birmingham
who ceased trading in World War II.
We receive many family visitors from all over the US where descendants of the Stone family brothers have settled.
We understand that the Stone Association ceased to function in the 1920s but recently, following these visits,
there is a renewed spirit of revival.
The contact in the USA is Ben Stone Jnr, 401 College Ave, Suite D. Santa Rosa CA95401.