The Parish Church of St Lawrence - East Donyland

Welcome to this fascinating and eccentric building which crowns the Rowhedge skyline and which has been the Spiritual Home for people in this riverside community for over a century and a half. There is no other church in Essex (and few in England) that is quite like it and although it is modern in comparison to our mediaeval churches, there is much of beauty and interest to be enjoyed here.

"In 1816, the Reverend Vicessimus McGie Torriano arrived as curate in charge of East Donyland (probably for an absentee Rector). By then the community at the Rowhedge end of his parish had grown and the population of some 700 were engaged in dredging the River Colne for oysters or working on the land. The old parish church stood aloof from where most of the people lived, also it was too small for the growing population and to extend it was considered to be impossible.

"The architect chosen to design the new church was WILLIAM MASON (1810-97) of Ipswich (son of George Mason, Builder, Surveyor and Architect, who became Borough Surveyor for Ipswich and designed rectories at Chelmondiston and Shottisham)."

"Mr Mason was commissioned to design a church that must be low in price, but hold 500 people, who must be seated so that they could see and hear the preacher easily. He came up with an ingenious scheme, which would cater for all these requirements. He designed an octagonal building.

If you would like to add to the Church Micro series yourself then please look here

http://churchmicro.co.uk/

There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page that can be found at
http://www.15ddv.me.uk/geo/cm/index.html