Very large and well cared for church. The vicar here is a friendly understanding man.read more

Lively, young, relevant.read more

St Martin's is a historic Norman church in the pretty little town of Chipping Ongar, and is…read moresituated just off the High Street. The church was built just after the Norman conquest, around 1080. The original nave and chancel still survive, and the flint walls incorporate reused Roman bricks and tiles - clearly visible from the outside. The church was extended in Victorian times, but still retains its 15th century steeple, complete with 17th century clock. Still, outside, on the north wall of the sanctuary is a small recess (now with a door), with a very small window on the inside. This was originally an anchorite cell - where a hermit could take part in the service without being seen or coming into contact with the parishioners. Inside, the atmosphere in the nave is dark, thanks to the low, heavy 14th century roof, and the prolific amount of Victorian stained glass. The porch, south aisle and nave arcade are also Victorian, and you have to look hard to find the mediaeval features: narrow, round-headed Norman windows in the north wall, above a stoup for Holy Water. The chancel arch was rebuilt around 1350, but some Norman windows also survive in the chancel, alongside 14th and 16th century insertions, and some of the 'scissor' roof beams are also thought to be Norman. The East window is a nice Decorated Gothic example from about 1300. The fittings include a 16th century pulpit, a 15th century font and, on the south wall of the chancel, a memorial to Sara Mitford (d. 1776) by the noted English sculptor Joseph Nollekens. Under the south side of the altar is another memorial, to Jane Pallavicini, cousin of Oliver Cromwell (whose father fought on the Royalist side). Finally, one of the Victorian windows depicts David Livingstone - who lived in Chipping Ongar in 1838-40 to undertake probationary year at the London Missionary Society school.

I have been so blessed through this church and its people. I have grown so much in faith since my…read morefamily and I started attending the church. One of the biggest gifts for me is the FREE Bible college classes that they offer. It's so amazing!

From the owner: We are a nondenominational evangelical Christian Church in South East London, UK.read more

Its a beautiful place, probably the most visually spectacular in the whole of Royal Holloway caste,…read moreapart from the castle as a whole. There are choirs singing inside and music graduates and students performing on a daily basis, sounding the place in an angelic, beautiful echo. The internal decoration of the place is simply magnificent. The roof is painted superbly, the detail upon the ornamentation of the windows is spectacular and superb. It is the place tourists at Royal Holloway visit and take pictures of the most.

ABUSIVE, 80% BORING, AND NOT CARING ABOUT CHILDREN'S SAFETY:…read more THEY ARE FILTHY CROOKS. And the sermons delivered by their pastors (not their guests I have seen so far this year) at the Central London branch are SO boring!!! I have not heard such boring messages since I became a born again Christian and I think we have not since the world began. What is going on? They are SO pathetic!!! God sees. God agrees. Of course. On Sunday 23/11/2025 at Hillsong Church Central London at Dominion Theatre there was a serious incident. *A female church volunteer deliberately* endangered my precious sons Jeremiah and Ethan who are 10 and 8 years old by providing us with wrong information at the start of the service. As I raised concerns about this potentially dangerous misinformation, do you know what their response was? Three security staff and a Hillsong church female staff member attempted to terrorize and threaten me, and they vigorously defended the hypocrite female volunteer who deliberately gave me the wrong information endangering two young children, how evil! The female church staff member's behavior stemmed from jealousy (it was 100% jealousy getting her to attempt to terrorize and threaten me like that, the confidence she tried to exhibit after the church service was extremely fake, she wanted to give the impression that I am the one in the wrong and she has finally done the right thing mistreating me the way she did at the start of the church service, cock and bull story, her jealousy is monstrous) and honestly I don't care because I have other important *GOOD* things to do in this world. I passed kindergarten and I am very focused. After the church service, three of the security staff at Dominion Theatre continued their harassment. I was forcibly escorted out with Jeremiah and Ethan by two of the security staff (without having caused a scene during the church service, no) while my precious son Ty who is 16 had gone to the restroom. The two security staff refused to let me re-enter the hall to get my precious son Ty after forcibly escorting Jeremiah, Ethan and I out. Only one man who attended the church service intervened, asking the abusive two security staff to allow me back inside to get my third child, but they still denied me that. I very much thanked that man who intervened. I then spotted my son Ty, who, noticing my absence in the hall, was calling my phone to find out where I was; I had to shout his name for him to come to me. They wouldn't let me go back inside to get my own child? It highlights how fitting the term "FILTHY CROOKS" is for them. A third security staff mocked us, laughing at me, Jeremiah and Ethan. I contacted news outlets like SKY News to expose the way I was mistreated. Yesterday 30/11/2025, as we went to church my precious children and I for God, I was told by one of the abusive security staff from the previous Sunday that Hillsong Church Central London has refused that I continue to attend their church. Someone called Steve, a church representative I believe, spoke to me and confirmed this. They mentioned an email was sent to me about it. I told them I had not received that email which is true. THEIR JEALOUSY IS DISGUSTING AND MONSTROUS! And ugly. What they don't know is that the night before God, who is always on my side, revealed a secret to me and instructed me not to disclose it until after I attended church yesterday and witnessed their actions. God clearly stated: "NOT THIS TIME", in a very strong and powerful manner. I wonder what God meant. God spoke that against those at Hillsong who support my mistreatment, showing me, assuring me, that he is on my side. He is definitely infinity percent not with them when it comes to the way they treated me the previous Sunday and yesterday. THANK YOU SO MUCH, LORD! YES!!! Please FIRE and BAN the three abusive security staff, the abusive jealous female church staff and that female volunteer who deliberately gave me wrong information. Shut down their evil. For good. Now. THANK YOU. Patricia Wagner

It's always great to visit this church here in Bloomsbury, the community are friendly and you feel…read morelike you're home around your family!

When you think of this part of the Lea Valley, you might think of the Reservoirs, the Country Park…read moreor the delightful Lea and Stort Navigation Canals. Or you might think M25, industrial estates and some of outer London's more dreary suburbs. Or, if you've visited Waltham Abbey, you'll think of one of Essex's most interesting churches; a Norman architectural gem, steeped in history from the time of the Saxons, the site of one of England's greatest monasteries, and the burial place of King Harold, after the Battle of Hastings. History The site has a very ancient history: There have been five churches on the site, and what we see now is - oddly - the fourth. (More on that later.) The story starts around 610AD, with the construction of a simple Saxon church. This was rebuilt by the 8th century, and would still have been standing when the local landowner, Tofig, standard bearer to King Cnut, brought to it a miraculous Holy Cross. This was actually a black crucifix unearthed at his estate at Montacute in Somerset, but it quickly became associated with miracles of healing. The third church was built by the local Lord, Harold, Earl of Essex, who later became King Harold II. Injured in a skirmish in Wales, he attributed his healing to prayers said over the Holy Cross. In recognition, he had a much larger church built with wide transepts, endowed with lands and established as a college of Canons. It was consecrated in the presence of King Edward the Confessor in 1060. Alas, it was not enough to save Harold at the battle of Hastings in 1066, but afterwards his body was brought here for burial from the battlefield, having been identified by his mistress, Edith Swan-neck. Harold's church did not last long: it was rebuilt by the Normans between 1090 and 1150 in the Romanesque style, and it is essentially this church that we see today. The church had links to Peterborough and Durham, and the distinctive architectural style of both of those is evident in its interior. In 1177, the church was re-established as an Augustinian Priory by Henry II as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas a Becket. The Norman chancel was pulled down to extend the Nave, and a completely new Chancel built. This huge church - over treble its current length and with two sets of transepts and crossing towers - became one of the wealthiest foundations in England, and enjoyed Royal patronage from Kings visiting the nearby hunting grounds of Epping Forest. Even Henry VIII endowed it with fine glass, and it was the last monastery to be dissolved, in 1540. Being last did not save it, however: The monastery church of Henry II was completely pulled down except for a small chapel, leaving just the nave and the original crossing tower, and even this fell down a few years later. The nave then began to lean, and a tower was built in Queen Mary's reign at the west end to act as a buttress. A major restoration by William Burgess in 1860 gave the church a sumptuous new East End, and also a painted roof - a copy of that in Peterborough. The Lady Chapel - originally a funeral guild chapel built in the 14 century - was also restored, unveiling a complete 15th century Doom wall painting on its east wall. The undercroft - then a prison - has since become a shop and visitor centre. The church The Tudor west tower makes an impressive sight on the approach from Waltham Cross, but the exterior - apart from the fine decorated Gothic windows of the Lady Chapel - is something of a patchwork of later repairs. A Victorian statue of King Harold adorns the west end of the south aisle, and to the east and north the remains of the monastery - extensive, but hard to decipher - now sit in the extensive Abbey Gardens. The best preserved are a small section of vaulted cloister passage and the Abbey Gate. Behind the church is a grave marker, identifying the supposed burial place of King Harold, on the site of the apse. The entrance under the tower reveals original West Door, rebuilt in the 13th century in the Gothic style. Entering through this is a moment of high drama: the Norman nave makes an immediate impact, with its piers decorated with spiral and chevron patterns, as at Durham. This leads to Burgess's sumptuous East End, all under the astonishing painted roof. Closer inspection reveals that the first bay of the nave was rebuilt in the late 13th century in the Gothic style, removing the gallery: this work was abandoned when the changes were found to be damaging the structure. The work left a single pointed arch but with the gallery intact in the second bay of the north arcade. Otherwise, the arcades are robustly Norman, with arches of vigorous zig-zag and dogtooth decoration. The new sanctuary was formed between the sixth bay at the east end. For the new East wall, Burgess placed a rose 'wheel' above three lancets: the glass is by Edward Burne-Jones and depicts prophets and a Tree of Jesse. Below the window is a frieze of Aesop's

An absolutely beautiful old Saxon church dating from the 14th century! On a much smaller scale…read morethan the other gigantic cathedrals I toured during my trip to the UK, but definitely worth the visit. Inside, I think the most amazing part is the original painting on the wall -- it's wonderful that this has been preserved through the centuries. There's a gorgeous organ as well, which I think was actually constructed in 1717. The highlight of my visit though was the "monk's cell" which is opened to visitors only once a year or so (we just happened to stop by during a special event at the church). It cost a pound to get in, but I ain't complaining! It's reached via an old stone spiral staircase, and once inside, you get to see a huge collection of old books. And when I say old, I mean like some are from the 14th-15th century!! The best part is that you are actually allowed to touch the books and open them up to view their contents. I got to page through a volume printed in 1492. There are old parish registries, tax accounting, Bibles, etc....and they even have an original page from I believe a 10th or 11th century illuminated text. I seriously had a nerdgasm in there! The guy who was telling us about the collection was pretty funny and incredibly knowledgeable. If you happen to be in Northanptonshire, you should definitely check this place out! I bet if you ask nicely, they'll even let you check out the monk's cell.

This lovely church in Soho Square was once the home of…read moreCasanova's lover Mrs Cornelys & their daughter was conceived here when it was once one of the most fashionable addresses in London. Now it holds magnificent services. I went to the funeral of Pearl here, wife of John Bermiston, a publican in nearby Fitzrovia's Northumberland Arms

As a temporary resident of London (student abroad) who was looking for a church to go to Mass…read moreduring my period of stay, I am very happy to having found this church. It's ambiance is respectful but not overly so (in the sense that no one will seem to want to criticize you if you just so happen to drop your jacket/book during Mass). There were a variety of types of people during my time there, and everywhere I looked, I was greeted with a smile. The music was all very pleasant, especially due to the fantastic acoustics of the stone walled church! Overall, if I were to ever find myself in London again on a Sunday, I'll be making my way here.