Messing-cum-Inworth

Messing-cum-Inworth is a civil parish in north-east Essex, 8.5 miles west of Colchester, and 15 miles east of Chelmsford. The parish consists of two small villages; Messing (population 250), and Inworth (population 100). At the 2011 the population of the Civil Parish was 363.

The parish of Messing-cum-Inworth is bounded by the parishes of Kelvedon to the west, Feering to the north, Birch to the east and Tiptree to the south. The highest point in the parish is no more than 69 metres (226 ft) above sea level dropping to 32 metres (105 ft) in the vicinity of Domsey Brook. It is situated in the Birch & Winstree ward of Colchester Borough Council. Amenities in Messing include Messing Primary School, a church, a pub/restaurant, and a large garden centre, while Inworth hosts most of the small businesses in the parish.

The village of Messing lies amongst picturesque countryside just 15 miles from Chelmsford and 1 mile from Tiptree. It is a small and charming village steeped in history, with a population of around 300 people and a few local amenities such as a pub, post office and church. It shares its parish with the tiny village of Inworth, which has a population of around 100 people and is home to several small businesses. The village of Messing was named as Essex's Best Kept Village in 2007 and 2008, and was the birthplace of Reynold Bush, ancestor to former presidents of the USA, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. The village church, named All Saints' Church, boasts character and tradition and, apart from its brick clock tower, was built entirely of rubble that was taken from a nearby Roman villa. Dating back to the 14th century, the whole church was refurbished in 1840 and, in the process, was fitted with new features that still remain today, such as a paved chancel of black and white marble and a beautiful stained-glass window that represents the Acts of Mercy (St Matthew 25:35, 36), and in the top part – Faith, Hope and Charity. It is believed that this window may have originally been at New Hall School in Chelmsford, until it was carefully removed in 1648 during the siege of Colchester in the English Civil War. It was then hidden in the church’s great chest, together with other treasures, in order it preserve it from destruction.

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