Hazeleigh

Shire countyRegionCountryEnglandSovereign stateUnited KingdomPost townChelmsfordPostcode districtCM3Dialling code01245 & 01621PoliceEssexFireEssexAmbulanceEast of England UK Parliament 51°42′11″N 0°38′05″E / 51.702992°N 0.634804°E / 51.702992; 0.634804

Hazeleigh is a village and civil parish on the Dengie peninsula in the English county of Essex. It lies 2.6 miles south-west of Maldon.

Hazeleigh's Parish Council

Hazeleigh and the neighbouring village of Woodham Mortimer share a joint Parish Council which meets monthly at Woodham Mortimer Village Hall.

Hazeleigh's churches

Hazeleigh's original timber-framed Church, St. Nicholas's, was located in an isolated part of the village, next to the Old Hall, however, by 1900 it had fallen into disuse. Due to its size and lack of windows it was known locally as "the meanest church in England". It was pulled down around 1922, although the last service had been held several years earlier, in 1906. One of the reasons why it fell into disuse was that an iron church was built in a more populous part of the village by the late-Victorian vicar, Rev. William Stuart (brother of Robert Stuart and father of William Horwood Stuart, both diplomats). This iron church was later demolished as well, currently, the parish of Hazeleigh is now incorporated into that of Woodham Mortimer.

List of rectors

Rev. George Raynor, B.A. (1869-1889)
Rev. William Stuart, M.A. (1889-1896)
Rev. Gilbert Henry Raynor, M.A. (1896-1921)
Rev. Nathaniel Gentry (1708-1709 - Church Register)

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2008)

External links

• Photo of St. Nicholas's Church before demolition
• History of Hazeleigh including the story of Hazeleigh Church
• Information of Hazeleigh and contact for the Parish Council

References

The collection of short stories The Night Chicago Died, ISBN 978-1-4389-0011-7, contains a story entitled The Meanest Church in England which references Hazeleigh.