St Mary and St Peter's Church, Wennington

Wennington Church is recorded as being in the possession of Westminster Abbey during Richard de Belmeis' term as bishop of London early in the 12th century – this may be one said to have been given to the Abbey by Ætsere the Swarthy and his wife Ælfgyth before the Norman Conquest.Hart, Early Charters - Essex, 25.

File:East-Facing View inside the Church of Saint Mary and Saint Peter, Wennington (01).jpg

In 1541 Westminster Abbey's advowson was transferred to the new but short-lived Diocese of Westminster and then to the bishop of London, who retained it until 1852, when it was granted to the bishop of Peterborough. In 1867 it was transferred from him to the Crown and then in 1958 to the Martyrs' Memorial Trust.

The south aisle was knocked down around 1600, and extensive repairs occurred early in the 18th century. The church had fallen into disrepair by 1874 but was restored and expanded to meet a growing local population in 1885 and 1886, by rebuilding the south aisle, adding new chancel windows and an organ chamber, converting the base of the west tower into a vestry, and removing a west gallery.{{cite web |title=Wennington |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol7/pp180-190 |website=British History Online |access-date=17 December 2023}} A new porch was added in 1900.

File:Harrison Healey Wennington wildfire image looking east narrow view (cropped to church).jpg

On 19 July 2022, the church survived a wildfire which destroyed much of Wennington village.{{Cite web |last=Hockaday |first=James |date=2022-07-20 |title=Devastating aftermath of Wennington fire that destroyed houses but spared church |url=https://metro.co.uk/2022/07/20/devastating-aftermath-of-wennington-wildfire-revealed-in-aerial-shots-17033212/ |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=Metro |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Francis |title=Fire-threatened church in Wennington had just celebrated repairs after a flood |url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2022/29-july/news/uk/fire-threatened-church-in-wennington-had-just-celebrated-repairs-after-a-flood |access-date=8 January 2023 |work=Church Times}}

The present building is medieval with a 12th-century doorway reset in the vestry,{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=St Mary and St Peter's Churchyard, Wennington - London |url=https://www.parksandgardens.org/places/st-mary-and-st-peters-churchyard-wennington |access-date=2022-12-28 |website=Parks & Gardens |language=en}} early 13th-century font, parish chest, chancel piscina, chancel, nave and south aisle, and early 14th-century north aisle. The west tower is later 14th century, whilst the chancel arch and nave roof were both rebuilt in the late 15th or early 16th century.

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• {{cite web|url=http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/essex/vol7/pp180-190#h3-0005 |title=Wennington | British History Online |website=British-history.ac.uk |date= |accessdate=2017-02-25}}

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{{Churches in Havering}}

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Wennington

Wennington