Photographs of the Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore

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The Priory Church of St Laurence, Blackmore was built in the 14th century in part of the Augustinian Priory founded in about 1160. The original wall with the door to the priory still exists at the west end of the church and the entire church was probably the nave of the original priory with the door to the cloister from the south wall of the existing chancel. The arches and roof of the nave and the bell tower was added in about 1400.
Much of the Priory was demolished in 1540 after the Dissolution of the monasteries, but it is around this time that the arches on the south side of the nave were rebuilt in brick. The church remained almost a private chapel until the late 1800's when it was restored and repaired.
The bell tower is almost completely original (except for part of the spire which was restored in 1900) and is the largest in Essex and one of the most impressive timber towers in England.