These refurbishments and improvements continue to this day, with charity work in Peldon taking place to raise money in order to repair and refurbish the church, a Grade I listed building. The registered charity The Friends of St Mary's Peldon raises funds for the church, and has raised over £45,000. In the 1870s, the parish church was described as: "The church stands on an eminence, with commanding view; is later English, with a tower; and was restored in 1859, and then found to include remains of an early Norman church." References External links Mersea Island Museum – contains additional history of Peldon Villages in Essex Civil parishes in Essex Borough of Colchester