Church of St Mary at Mundon

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St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Mundon, Essex. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Friends of Friendless Churches.

Entrance to this medieval church

Squelching marshes, open skies and cockleshell spits make up the Dengie Peninsula in Essex. On it, you’ll find St Mary’s church with its curious double-storied Tudor tower wrapped in a timber-framed skirt.

Inside restoration has begun by the charity friends of friendless churches

The church closed in 1970 and has been owned by the charity since 1975.

Wonderful medieval church with a timber-framed skirt, in a desolate landscape that inspired The War of the Worlds.

Behind the church are the 'Ghost Trees of Mundon

It could almost pass as a spaceship. And in fact, Mundon’s apocalyptic landscape peppered with petrified oaks inspired the Martian landing scene in H.G. Wells’s, The War of the Worlds.

Here, it feels like time has ended…

But St Mary’s is just an hour from central London.

Rainham Riverside

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Spent some time along the seawall at Rainham beside the nature reserve and over the landfill site. Managed to see or hear a few returning summer migrants including Sand Martin, Wheatear (2 males), Sedge Warbler 3, Whitethroat lots, Lesser Whitethroat one possibly two and a few Common Terns over the River Thames fishing. A variety of waders which included the usual but also six Bar-tailed Godwits some of which were in their stunning brick red summer plumage. Single Dunlin, Ringed Plover and Oystercatcher. Also, a Common Seal had pulled itself out along the north bank so much closer than where they all normally lay up on the opposite side of the rive. But, my highlight was a brief but good view of a Weasel.

Avocet

3 of six Bar-tailed Godwits present 2 of which are in summer plumage

Common Seal

House Sparrow male

2 female and a drake Teal coming in to land

Weasel

Wheatear male

Whitethroat