St Clement's Church, West Thurrock facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Clement's Church |
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St Clement's Church
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Church of England |
| Province | Province of Canterbury |
| Status | Preserved |
| Location | |
| Location | West Thurrock, Essex, England |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | Early 13th century |
| Completed | Late 15th century |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Length | 74 feet 6 inches (22.71 m) |
| Width | 41 feet 3 inches (12.57 m) |
| Width (nave) | 16 feet 9 inches (5.11 m) |
| Materials | Knapped flint Reigate Stone |
St Clement's Church is a very old and important building located in West Thurrock, Essex, England. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered to be of exceptional historical and architectural interest. This church is part of the traditional Church of England parishes in Thurrock. You might even recognize it from the famous movie Four Weddings and a Funeral!
Building Through the Ages
A church has stood on this spot in West Thurrock for a very long time, even before the Norman Conquest in 1066. The first church was built close to the river, on a strip of gravel where the current church stands. Back then, there wasn't a sea wall or river bank like we see today.
In the early 1100s, the church had a round tower that served as its main area, called the nave. By the early 1200s, the building was made wider. New sections, called north and south aisles, were added on either side of the rectangular chancel (the part of the church near the altar). Later in the 1200s, the church was extended even more. A new chancel was built, and the old chancel became the nave. North and south chapels were also added. The eastern wall of the chancel was later moved to its current spot.
By the late 1400s, the north and south walls of the chancel were removed and replaced with arches. The old round nave was taken down and a large tower was built in its place. Over the centuries, many repairs and changes happened. In 1628, the east wall of the chancel was rebuilt. Repairs were made to the tower in 1640 and to the south aisle in 1711.
In the early 1800s, the south chapel was rebuilt and made shorter. Major repairs took place in 1906, including a new roof for the chancels and aisles. Four years later, the east wall of the chancel was rebuilt again. More repairs were done in 1935 when iron ties were put in to make the walls stronger, as they had been damaged by the ground sinking.
In 1940, a company called Procter & Gamble started a new factory right next to the church. This company would later play a big role in the church's future. In 1950, the church's flat roofs needed fixing again because the lead lining had been stolen. Three years later, more roof work was finished when the building tiles were replaced. The tower and north chapel were also repaired around this time.
A New Chapter for the Church
In 1960, St Clement's Church was officially given Grade I listed building status. This meant it was recognized as a very important historical site. However, by 1977, regular church services had to stop. The building became too cold and damp during the winter months.
Soon after, the church was used for a project called the Ark project. This project aimed to help young people who were unemployed. The inside of the church was changed for this project, but it didn't last long. After a few years, the project failed, and the building started to fall apart and was damaged by vandals.
In 1987, Procter & Gamble, whose factory is right next to the churchyard, offered to take care of the church and its grounds. This was part of their 150th anniversary celebration. Three years later, in 1990, the church's restoration was completed. It was a big effort to bring the church back to its former glory.
The church's inside and outside were both featured in the movie Four Weddings and a Funeral. It was the setting for the funeral of one of the characters.
In recent years, the churchyard has been allowed to become a natural area. Even though it's now a place for nature, it is still considered sacred ground. There are many memorials in the church grounds. One special memorial remembers 16 boys from a training ship called Cornwall and their training officer. They tragically died in the River Thames in 1915 when their boat was hit by a tug.
The church was open every day during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, from 11 AM to 3 PM. It also had more open days on August 17 and 18, 2013. Today, you can visit St Clement's Church on the first weekend of every month between April and September, from 11 AM to 3 PM.
Special Memorials
St Clement's Church has two very old memorial brasses. These are special metal plaques that remember members of the Heies family. These brasses were stolen in the 1970s. Luckily, they were later returned to the church by someone who had bought them without knowing they were stolen.
