St Nicholas Church - Southfleet, Kent, UK
N 51° 24.989 E 000° 19.148
31U E 313588 N 5699551
A church that wants "To make St Nicholas a fruitful church for the 21st century, glorifying God and transforming society, with a weekly church attendance of 500".
Waymark Code: WMEXJH
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/18/2012
Views: 3
The Domesday Book records the church in 1086, although there
was a church and manor in Southfleet long before the Conquest. It is thought
that Roman bricks were brought from the ruins at Springhead and used in the
earlier church.
Entry to the church is by a massive oak door, dating from
the 14th century, with its original ornamental strapwork. Inside is the imposing
monument (dated 1605) to the great grandson of the Kings Auditor, John Sedley.
The chandelier, made in London in 1772 is brass with a single tier of twelve
branches. The choir stalls are on the left and date from the 15th
century.
The church is Grade I listed and the entry at the English
Heritage website (visit link) advises:
"C14
with some C15 windows, restored in 1867. Built of flint with west tower of 3
stages built of flint and ragstone in a chequerwork pattern with higher
north-east octagonal stair turret and crenellated parapet. Chancel, nave and
aisle with 3 gables of equal size. South porch. Decorated interior. Piscina and
triple sedilia with ogee arches. South aisle has some fragments of sculpture.
Perpendicular font. Stalls with misericords. Some C14 tiles near the sedilia.
Pulpit made up of Jacobean panels. Wall paintings of Latimer and Ridley,
possibly C18. Several brasses in chancel and south aisle, and large alabaster
wall monument to John Sedley died 1605."
The Kent Churches website (visit link) gives some of the church's
history:
"A large interesting church totally built in the
fourteenth century of a flint and stone rubble mixture. The arcades of both
north and south aisles are of the standard octagonal pattern. The font is very
boldly carved on each of its faces; particularly interesting is the
representation of a chalice with the wafer appearing as a sunburst. The
five-light east window of 1854 is by O'Connor. In the south aisle is the table
tomb of John Sedley (d. 1520) while his great-grandson John (d. 1603) is
commemorated by a large standing wall monument. The chancel has a three-seater
sedilia and some medieval stalls with simple
misericords."
The church
website (visit
link) gives the times of services:
"Regular
Services
Time |
Service |
Place |
Sunday 08:00am |
Holy Communion |
Southfleet Church |
Sunday
10:00am |
Family
Worship |
Bean Youth
Centre |
Sunday
10:30am |
Family Worship
|
Southfleet
Church |
Monthly
Services
Time |
Service |
Place |
4th Sunday 12:00
noon |
Thanksgiving for the
gift of a Child |
Southfleet
Church |
Children
Children
of all ages are welcome at all services but the 10:00am and 10:30am services are
geared for children. There is always either a childrens space in the church or
the whole service is geared around children. Bring your children to meet Jesus
in God's house."