Elsing Church & The Hasting's Brass
About ½ mile from Elsing Hall can be found St Mary's Church, Elsing. St Mary's was built in about 1340 by Sir Hugh de Hastings and his wife, the Lady Margery.
The church has many unique features:
- the unsupported nave is thought to be the widest of any parish church in East Anglia and possibly England
- the octagonal font has a remarkable suspended canopy (about 1340) thought to be the oldest of its period in existence
- The Hastings Brass, beneath which Sir Hugh is buried, is one of the most important in Europe. It is the only known brass in England to have been decorated with coloured glass. In its original state it must have been sumptuous
- The South window contains the remains of some 14th century glass that originated in the East window but was blown in in a gale in 1781
- The base of the 15th century screen remains
The Church is generally open to the public.