St James' Church, Stanstead Abbotts

2013-06-26

A local treasure unchanged for 200 years

St James’ has been a landmark for seven centuries. Built on a hillside above the River Lea, its embattled buttressed tower was a steering point for those on the water and a waymark for those on the ancient route to London.

The church’s unspoiled interior has hardly been touched since Georgian times and features unusually high box pews and a three-decker pulpit.

Monuments include that of a local nobleman, Sir Edward Baesh, who is shown kneeling opposite his wife.