Little Waltham is a large village in S Essex, set in arable farmland 3½ miles N of Chelmsford. The village is on the E bank of the River Chelmer and the church stands to the S of the village centre. It is built of stone and flint rubble, and consists of a nave and chancel without a chancel arch between them. The nave has a 12thc S doorway under a 19thc porch, and a plain 12thc lancet in the S wall. A N aisle with a 3 bay arcade was added in the 19thc. The chancel was rebuilt in the 14thc and 15thc, but also restored in the 19thc. It has a 19thc organ chamber contiguous with the N aisle. The W tower is 15thc in origin, but its S.W. angle appears to have collapsed in the 16thc or early 17thc, when it was re-built and buttresses added. The 19thc work noted above is by the ubiquitous Chancellor (1883-84) who carried out a general restoration. The only Romanesque sculpture is on the S nave doorway

The Domesday Survey makes no distinction between Great and Little Waltham, identifying the 5 holdings described in the Great Waltham site report on this website. It is perfectly possible that both parishes were on Geoffrey de Mandeville’s land, but as with Great Waltham there is no way to know at present.

Neither Pevsner nor Bettley attempt to date this doorway. The RCHME has it in the early 12thc, and the present author agrees.