Soon after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning, 22nd April 1884,
there occurred the worst earthquake in England’s history for 400
years. The whole of East Anglia was shaken; Essex was at the centre
of the shock. Measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale, in tremors
lasting just 20 seconds, it damaged more than 1,250 buildings. It
was at Langenhoe that the worst damage to a church occurred.
The great earthquake was centred right on Abberton/Langenhoe.
Langenhoe Church stood on a hill overlooking the Essex marshes well
away from the village. The old church (basically late medieval in
appearance) was badly damaged. Contemporary photographs show that
the roof fell in but the walls remained standing. It was, however,
repaired using some of the old dressings but was never again in
good structural repair.
Suggestions that the church was haunted came from the Reverend
Merryweather who reported a lot of psychic disturbances including
the great West door slamming shut on windless days, singing coming
from a locked and empty church, a case that locked and unlocked
itself, objects that disappeared and reappeared.
Apparitions appeared and disappeared through walls and once, at
the manor house, Rev. Merryweather claimed to have witnessed a
fantastic apparition. While admiring the view from a bedroom, he
turned round and walked into a fleeting embrace with a naked young
woman.
The girl is said to be Arabella Waldergrave, sweetheart of an
earlier vicar, who was murdered by him on the discovery that she
was pregnant!
The church was demolished c.1960. Questions were raised as to
whether this was because of all the alleged paranormal happenings
or just because of 'its poor structural state'.
The site is now rough-mown grass with a few surviving
tombstones.
To access the cache you must park outside Langenhoe Hall Farm as
this is private property. There is a public footpath from the farm
entrance. Follow the path straight across to the metal gate
entering the church field. The public have access to this field and
the footpath only. There is high security in the area so please
stick to the designated path.
The cache is a small camouflaged pot in the old church area.