St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden St Mary the Virgin, Saffron Walden St Mary the Virgin is the parish church of Saffron Walden, Essex. It is the largest non-cathedral church in Essex with an overall length of and the spire, high, which is the tallest in Essex. It was designated as a Grade I listed building in 1951. A Norman church was recorded in 1130, which in turn had replaced an earlier wooden structure. The building as it currently stands dates predominantly from a rebuilding between 1250 and 1258, with a further rebuilding in the Perpendicular style begun in about 1450, the latter stages supervised by
Saffron Walden (UK Parliament constituency) Borough of Saffron Walden, the Urban District of Halstead, the Rural Districts of Dunmow, Halstead, and Saffron Walden, and in the Rural District of Braintree the civil parishes of Bardfield Saling and Great Bardfield. 1974-1983: The Municipal Borough of Saffron Walden, the Urban District of Halstead, and the Rural Districts of Dunmow, Halstead, and Saffron Walden. 1983-1997: The District of Uttlesford, and the District of Braintree wards of Bumpstead, Castle Hedingham, Colne Engaine and Greenstead Green, Earls Colne, Gosfield, Halstead St Andrews, Halstead Trinity, Sible Hedingham, Stour Valley Central, Stour Valley North, Stour Valley South, Upper Colne, and Yeldham. 1997-2010: