Gary Stone on rescue of Chingford's All Saints Old Church

The first documented reference to a place of worship at the site was in 1181, but the Norman-era structure is thought to have been demolished before the 13th century when the current church was built.

With the construction of the tower in the late 14th century, the complete rebuilding of the chancel in 1460, and the addition of the porch in the early 16th century, the main structural development came to an end.

In the years that followed, the building began to deteriorate. It also slowly became enveloped by ivy, which earned it the nickname 'The Green Church'.

The ivy became so out of control that by 1844, church elders reluctantly decided to abandon the building and move to the new church on The Green.

All Saints (the Old Church) is a landmark on a hill in Chingford today (Image: Gary Stone) The church lay derelict, and its sorry state was made worse in 1904 when the roof of the nave and south aisle collapsed.

But just as it seemed that the building would crumble away, it was saved by a last-gasp intervention by Louise Boothby-Heathcote, of Chingford's famous Heathcote family.

Ms Boothby-Heathcote was the youngest daughter of Rev Robert Boothby-Heathcote, who was a popular Chingford rector in the 1800s, and she was keen to leave a lasting family legacy to the area.

She donated £6,000 to restore the church, which she described as the 'jewel of Chingford', and also gave another large sum to restore the bells.

In 1930, the restoration was complete and the church opened once more.

Ten years later, Ms Boothby-Heathcote died and was laid to rest in the family vault of the restored church, bringing the family's long association with Chingford to an end.

Today, the church is a thriving place of worship and community activity.

• Gary Stone is a local historian: chingfordhistory.org.uk