Join
us now to help raise funds to maintain our beautiful Norman church. Just
think of the history this church has seen! The
Normans started building it in 1100, only 34 years after the Battle of Hastings,
when William the Conqueror defeated King Harold and became king of England.
All through the reign of King Henry VIII, this church was here. He may
even have celebrated Mass here while courting Anne Boleyn, whose family
lived in nearby Rochford Hall. When
the plague swept through England in 1665, St Nicholas Church was standing
here. And it was here the following year, when London burned during the Great
Fire of 1666. When
the Dutch sailed up the River Thames in 1667 and ransacked Canvey Island
and Sheerness, then attacked the British fleet at Chatham, did the admiral take
a bearing from the spire of St Nicholas Church? Another
well-known sailor, Admiral Lord Nelson, may also have used the church spire
as a landmark as he sailed past from Chatham Dockyard.
The Friends raise money solely for the repair and upkeep of the church. We don't
spend any money ourselves. No money from the Friends is spent on the day-to-day
running of the church. No one in the Friends is paid a fee of any sort; it's all
voluntary. We
won't ask you to attend any meetings or join any committees – though you
can if you wish. Membership
of The Friends of St Nicholas is only £10 per year for an individual,
or £15 per year for a couple. If you live outside Great Wakering,
we will send you the parish magazine to keep you in touch with events. Why
not join us and help preseve our wonderful church for another 900 years? You
can either pay online or by post. | 
