The soil is varied, and it is likely that Iron Age dwellers dug their homes out of the gravel, thick clay and gravel pits that occur in the area. Worked flints, a bronze axe and Iron Age earthworks have been found near the River Roding nearby.  There are many wells and it is likely that the name of the village was derived from this fact. The village of Chigwell is mentioned in the Domesday Book and is called CINGHEUUELLA (cing – gravel; heuuella – wells).  A Roman Road, which passes through the village, can be traced from Woodford Bridge north-east to Dunmow.  Along it’s route, in the grounds of what was Woolston Hall, a tessellated pavement and other Roman remains have been found.

The  Domesday Book states that before the Norman Conquest, Earl Harold held most of the village from Edward the Confessor.  His portion, which included woodland, was large enough to hold 800 swine 31 acres of meadow and a mill (a water mill by the river Roding).

It was in the Norman period, about 100 years after the battle of Hastings that the original Church was built.  The local building materials are flint and timber and this can be seen still in the flinted walls and the timber belfry.

The original Norman church was simply a Nave and Chancel, as shown on the plan.  There were no pews, nor any arcade but simply a plain rectangular Nave with little round-headed windows to the North and South.  These windows were widely splayed on the inside to let in more light.  The Norman parts of the building which remain today are the South Wall, a recess for a Holy Water stoup to the East of the doors, a small window to the East of the door and of course, the original Norman doorway itself – unchanged since those times, with fine double chevrons, tympanum and simple cushion capitals.  At this time, there was no belfry, although there may have been a bell-cote for a single bell above the Western gable.