Richards Castle Church
Richards Castle came into the hands of the Mortimers of Essex in 1211 and remained in their hands until 1304 when the last Mortimer of that name was allegedly murdered with half the knights of his barony by poison administered by his wife.
The church stands on sloping ground beneath the ancient castle.
The heart of the structure was probably built in the twelfth century and therefore predates Mortimer involvement with the lordship. In the north wall of the nave are two early windows, one of which has been half blocked by a buttress put up to stop the wall toppling over. Beneath the chancel can be seen the remains of a crypt where a hermit may have once lived.
The rectangular detached tower may well date to the time of Mortimer lordship, as too might the later south aisle.
The irregular north transept was apparently consecrated in 1351 for the Knights Templar.
Copyright©2013 Paul Martin Remfry