The Street
Great Tey
Essex
CO6 1JS
St Barnabas is a few hundred yards from the source of the Roman River, after which our festival is named. It is a stunning church in the middle of the beautiful village green, surrounded by picture-postcard cottages.
Capacity: 80 seated in the nave and 50 restricted view in the impressive gallery.
Where to eat: The Chequers Pub, just a few yards from the church, is open from 12 - midnight on Saturdays.
DESCRIPTION / HISTORY
The wonderful 18ft square Norman tower is one of the finest examples in the country. Close inspection will show just how much Roman bricks were re-used from Colchester and in a most decorative way. The tower alone enabled Pevsner to describe the building as “one of the proudest pieces of Norman architecture in the county”.
The chancel dates from before 1320. There are two fifteenth century benches with traceried panels in the crossing, and a chest on wheels nearby, unique in Essex and considered to be Flemish, Dutch or German and sixteenth or seventeenth century in date.