Description
St Helen and St Giles Church is the oldest surviving building in Havering in the village of Rainham, which has been occupied since the Stone Age. In Norman times there was a ferry at Rainham and Rainham Creek was a trading post from as early as c1200. The church was reputedly built c.1170 as penance for the murder of Thomas A Becket by Richard Luce. Now closed to burials, the churchyard has many mature trees and a number of good C18th monuments. In 1729 John Harle, a merchant and owner of Rainham Wharf, built Rainham Hall next to the churchyard.
Practical Information
| Previously known as | Rainham Parish Church |
|---|---|
| Site location | The Broadway, Rainham |
| Postcode | RM13 9YW |
| What3Words | ///chase.minds.gather |
| Type of Site | Churchyard |
| Borough | Havering |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | unrestricted |
| Events | Has opened for Open House |
| Public Transport | Tube: Elm Park, Dagenham East (District). Rail: Rainham. Bus: 103, 165, 287, 324. |
| Research Updated | 1 September 2009 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Full description
St Helen and St Giles Church is a remarkably complete and unaltered Norman church with C12th nave and aisles, chancel and west tower. Rainham was one of the parishes in the Chafford Hundred, a series of small parishes of isolated farms and hamlets. The oldest surviving building in Havering in the old village of Rainham, St Helen and St Giles is reputed to have been built c.1170 as penance for the murder of Thomas A Becket by Richard Luce. Later alterations to the church include a C15th crown-post 2-bayed roof and C18th clerestory windows. A medieval drawing of a ship at anchor on the wall of the rood-loft staircase is a reminder that the River Ingrebourne, which is now infilled, was once used for navigation. Rainham has been occupied since the Stone Age and is named in the Domesday Book as Raineham in 1086. In Norman times a ferry at Rainham started running, transporting monks from Lesnes Abbey in Erith, as a result of which the settlement developed. Rainham Creek was a trading post from as early as c1200 until the C19th and John Harle who built Rainham Hall (q.v.) next to the church in 1729 was a merchant and owner of Rainham Wharf. The growth of heavy industry led to the decline of Rainham Ferry. The now largely forgotten poet and satirist Charles Churchill was curate at St Helen and St Giles from 1756-58 before removing to St John's Westminster. Well-known in his day, Churchill was lauded by among others John Wilkes, the MP and founder of the radical newspaper 'The North Briton' which frequently attacked the government of the day, to which Church contributed before his death at the age of 34.
The churchyard is closed to burials; it has many mature trees and some good C18th monuments. Archaeologists think there may be remains of a Saxon church here. The parish is now joined with that of Wennington.
The churchyard is closed to burials; it has many mature trees and some good C18th monuments. Archaeologists think there may be remains of a Saxon church here. The parish is now joined with that of Wennington.
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ520822 |
|---|---|
| Site Ownership | Church |
| Site Management | LB Havering Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | c1170 and later |
| Listed Structures | LBI: St Helen and St Giles Church |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Havering |
| In Conservation Area | Yes |
| Conservation Area Name | Rainham |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
Rainham Hall is an early C18th house built for Captain John Harle, set in a pleasant garden, although it once had larger grounds. It retains fine wrought-iron railings and gates, the latter having the intertwined initials of John Harle and his wife Mary. The house remained in his family until 1895 but then fell into decay, although remnants of the Harles' formal garden layout remained. The house was purchased by Colonel Mulliner in 1920 who found it an excellent example of its period, and it was later given to the National Trust.
Rainham existed from ancient times as a small hamlet with a medieval church, river crossing and a wharf on the creek formed by the Ingrebourne River, which was navigable until the C20th. The railway arrived here in 1854 but Rainham remained a relatively remote rural village into the 1930s. The land was acquired for public open space by Hornchurch UDC in 1934 and was initially used for allotments during WWII. Rainham Recreation Ground was laid out in 1950/1, facilities including a paddling pool and playground equipment, but although it was considered a suitable site for a future bowling green, this did not eventually get created. It was re-landscaped in 1990 and a new playsite was laid out in 2004.
Rainham Cemetery was opened in 1902, the first burial taking place in that year. There is a small cemetery chapel with a glass screen, railings. Even in the 1920s the surrounding area was entirely undeveloped and the cemetery was surrounded by fields. Upminster Road North, however, is marked as a route on earlier maps.