Group Leader: Ann Rawlinson

Our Essex Church Visits Group started shortly after the formation of Rayleigh Grange U3A in 2009.

Our first visit, in torrential rain, was to St. James the Less in Hadleigh and since that time we have visited 115 Essex medieval churches but also cathedrals and abbeys and 20^th century Anglican churches, and one 1960’s church.

We can now recognise Kentish ragstone, pudding stone, Tudor brickwork and Roman tiles.

We know what flying buttresses are and hammerbeam roofs and rood lofts.

We have rung bells and played organs and seen some of the many treasures contained in these fascinating buildings, many on our doorstep.

At each church we try to organise a talk and a guide who is able to tell us about the history of the building and point out the notable features.

We have visited churches in all corners of the county.

During the summer months we venture further afield and perhaps manage to look at two churches but we stay closer to home in the winter.

Our visits always culminate with a pub lunch hopefully, if we can find one, in a historic and picturesque inn. We meet on the third Wednesday of each month.