Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin,
Dedham |
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The Church of St. Mary the Virgin is in the village of Dedham within the borough of Colchester in northeast Essex, England, situated on the River Stour and on the border of Essex and Suffolk. Dedham is at the heart of 'Constable Country' - the area of England where John Constable lived and painted. Constable went to school in the village in the Grammar School now the 'Old Grammar School' and 'Well House'. The present parish church of St Mary the Virgin, Dedham was built in the 15th century with money provided by local cloth manufacturer Thomas Webbe. Building work started in 1492, the year that Columbus discovered America, and St Mary's was completed 30 years later, before King Henry VIII became Defender of the Faith and before he made himself head of the Church in England. The tower, completed in 1519, is actually an independent structure and is particularly imposing for a church of this size. It is said that Margaret Beaufort, mother of Henry VII, paid for the tower to be built. The tower is 131 feet high and is the most striking feature in this part of the Stour Valley. On permanent display at the church is John Constable's The Ascension, courtesy of The Constable Trust.
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