Tucked into the quiet countryside of Essex, just a mile west of Chipping Ongar, stands a remarkable survivor of early English Christianity…the Church of St Andrew, Greensted-juxta-Ongar…better known to most simply as Greensted Church.

This unassuming little building holds a major claim to fame…it is the oldest wooden church in the world, and quite possibly the oldest wooden building in Europe still standing.

Parts of the church…especially its iconic oak palisade walls…are believed to date from either the mid-9th century or, by more cautious estimates, the mid-11th century.

These walls are thought to be the remains of an early palisade church, possibly a forerunner to the stave churches found later in Scandinavia.

Although only some of the original wooden structure survives, what remains is enough to make Greensted a site of genuine historical and architectural significance.

It bridges the gap between the late Saxon period and Norman England, with later additions… including brickwork and a tiled roof… layered on over the centuries.

Greensted Church is still very much in use today. As a functioning parish church, it holds weekly services, and continues to be a place of community, quiet worship, and historical reflection.

In a land of stone cathedrals and Norman towers, Greensted’s weathered oak timbers tell a humbler but no less powerful story of early faith, rural craftsmanship, and a structure that has stood, quite literally, through the centuries.

To me..it’s a real thing of beauty.