St. Nicholas' Church, Worth
Encyclopedia
St Nicholas Church is a Church of England parish church
in Worth
, a village in Crawley
, England
. At one time it had the largest geographical parish in England.
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The church is of Saxon
origin, and parts of it probably date to between AD 950 and 1050. It was built in what at the time was a forest. The reason for building a church here is unknown, but the area may have had good hunting grounds, and royal or noble visitors to the grounds would need a place to pray in comfort. As it was a large church isolated in the forest, it is unlikely it was just for local needs. After the Norman conquest of England
in 1066, William the Conqueror
gave the church to his son-in-law William de Warenne
, whose coat of arms is still visible in the stained glass windows of the church. In the 14th century the church was passed from the de Warrenne family to the Fitzalan family, who lost it in 1415 to Nevills, Earl of Abergavenny.
Worth Church is still in use as a parish church with at least two services each Sunday and a midweek Eucharist
on Wednesdays. It performs ceremonies such as weddings, baptisms and funerals. About 150 people are officially on the parish's electoral roll, and up to 400 people attend major services at Christmas and Easter.
The churchyard includes the grave of Robert Whitehead
, inventor of the modern torpedo
. In a plot bordered with blue railings, his epitaph reads "His fame was known by all nations hereabouts".
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in Worth
Worth village, West Sussex
Worth is an area within the neighbourhood of Pound Hill, Crawley. It was a separate village and is still a civil parish in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex.-Worth village:...
, a village in Crawley
Crawley
Crawley is a town and local government district with Borough status in West Sussex, England. It is south of Charing Cross, north of Brighton and Hove, and northeast of the county town of Chichester, covers an area of and had a population of 99,744 at the time of the 2001 Census.The area has...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. At one time it had the largest geographical parish in England.
History
Anglo-Saxon architecture
Anglo-Saxon architecture was a period in the history of architecture in England, and parts of Wales, from the mid-5th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. Anglo-Saxon secular buildings in Britain were generally simple, constructed mainly using timber with thatch for roofing...
origin, and parts of it probably date to between AD 950 and 1050. It was built in what at the time was a forest. The reason for building a church here is unknown, but the area may have had good hunting grounds, and royal or noble visitors to the grounds would need a place to pray in comfort. As it was a large church isolated in the forest, it is unlikely it was just for local needs. After the Norman conquest of England
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066, William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
gave the church to his son-in-law William de Warenne
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey
William de Warenne, 1st Earl of Surrey, Seigneur de Varennes is one of the very few proven Companions of William the Conqueror known to have fought at the Battle of Hastings in 1066...
, whose coat of arms is still visible in the stained glass windows of the church. In the 14th century the church was passed from the de Warrenne family to the Fitzalan family, who lost it in 1415 to Nevills, Earl of Abergavenny.
Restoration
In 1986 workmen were treating roof timbers of the church for protection against vermin when a fire broke out. The fire brigade quickly put out the blaze, saving the main building, but the roof timbers were severely damaged. This rendered the building unstable, however, which resulted in much scaffolding being put up, which in turn required pews and flooring to be removed. The roof was redesigned and the walls were strengthened. New floors and pews were fitted. The new pews, unlike the pre-restoration ones, are easier to move, giving the church more flexibility. The old pews were considered impossible to re-install in the church. The restoration cost about £510,000 and was complete by 1988.The Church today
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
on Wednesdays. It performs ceremonies such as weddings, baptisms and funerals. About 150 people are officially on the parish's electoral roll, and up to 400 people attend major services at Christmas and Easter.
The churchyard includes the grave of Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead
Robert Whitehead was an English engineer. He developed the first effective self-propelled naval torpedo. His company, located in the Austrian naval centre in Fiume, was the world leader in torpedo development and production up to the First World War.- Early life:He was born the son of a...
, inventor of the modern torpedo
Torpedo
The modern torpedo is a self-propelled missile weapon with an explosive warhead, launched above or below the water surface, propelled underwater towards a target, and designed to detonate either on contact with it or in proximity to it.The term torpedo was originally employed for...
. In a plot bordered with blue railings, his epitaph reads "His fame was known by all nations hereabouts".