St. Nicholas' Church, Worth

St. Nicholas Church, more commonly known as Worth Church, is an Anglican church in Worth, a village in Crawley, England. At one point, it had the largest geographical parish in England

History

The church is of Saxon origin, and parts of it probably date to between 950 and 1050 AD. 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, the church was given by William the Conqueror to his son-in-law, William de Warrenne, 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.

The 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 around £510,000, and by 1988 it was complete.

The Church Today

Worth Church is still a fully operational church, just as it was in the 11th century, with at least two services each Sunday, plus a midweek Eucharist on Wednesdays. It still performs ceremonies such as weddings, christenings, and funerals. Although only about 150 people are officially on the Church's electoral role, it attracts up to 400 people for the major services every Christmas and Easter respectively.

The Church has two full time Clergy - Anthony and Craig - plus four Hon. Assistant Priests.

It is the burial place of Reuben Jones of Three Bridges, a Jutland veteran, and Harriett, his wife tl|notability.

ources

*"Worth Church, Sussex" (ISBN 0-9513451-0-9)
*http://www.crawley.gov.uk/