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St Mary the Virgin is the parish church of Saffron Walden. It is the largest church in Essex with an overall length of 183 feet and the spire, 193 feet high, which is the tallest in Essex. It was designated as a Grade I listed building. Link
A Norman church was recorded in 1130. 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.
In 1769 the church was damaged by lightning. The repairs, carried out in the 1790s removed many medieval features but saved the building which was in a dilapidated state. The spire was added in 1832 to replace an older "lantern" tower to a design of Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson.

Grade I listed buildings and structures are of exceptional, even international importance. There are over 6,000 in the country. Only 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I listed.
In Scotland the classification is Category A
Index: Link

Saffron Walden is a market town in North Essex. It is 18 miles south of Cambridge.
Wikipedia: Link