Aythorpe Roding, Essex

St Mary the Virgin is locked with no hint of a keyholder so I can't comment on the interior but the exterior is in the style of a lot of Essex churches south of the A120; flint rubble walls and a wooden octagonal shingled belfry - the style is prevalent in the Braintree area.

As you approach the church there's a really nice lych gate on the east side.

ST MARY. Nave and chancel, C13, but much renewed, and C15 belfry with broach spire. - BENCHES. Plain, in the nave, C16 also fragments of the C17.

Mee says:

Aythorpe Roding. It is a tiny place and ever has been so. The church stands among the cornfields halfway between Sleepy Hollow Farm by the stream and the fine smock windmill looking down. A good example of a 13th century manor church, every window in it is still in the style of the plain lancet which replaced the Norman. The bell-turret was set on oak posts in the nave 400 years ago to shelter three bells which rang out to herald the accession of Henry the Eighth.  We noticed that Henry Ludgater was rector here for 53 years of last century; he sleeps under the limes.

Flickr set.