Photographs of Tilty Church

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Tilty Church (near Stansted Airport) was the chapel by the gate when Tilty Abbey was a thriving Cistercian monastery and dates from the 13th century. It was dedicated to St Thomas of Canterbury. As a chapel outside the enclosure of the abbey it was intended for the use of local people, visitors and women, who were not normally allowed within the precincts of a Cistercian monastery. After the dissolution of Tilty Abbey, this chapel became the parish church for Tilty. At that time, the St Thomas of Canterbury dedication was no longer considered acceptable and the chapel informally adopted the Abbey's dedication of St Mary.
The nave is the oldest part of the church, dating from about 1220. It was probably finished before work started on the great abbey church so that a place of worship was available during the construction. In about 1330 the chancel was added. The porch on the south side and the bell turret were erected in the 18th century. In the south wall, near the east end, are two large columned and moulded arched recesses of early 13th century date. The eastern one was an aumbry (cupboard), now with a modern door, and the western one a piscina, with one round and one octagonal sink. It is a beautiful little church.