South Ockendon has been a village since before the Norman Invasion. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book as Wokenduna, supposedly named after a Saxon chief, Woken, whose tribe lived on a hill.
The church of St. Nicholas, south-east of the village green, is built of flint and rubble with ashlar dressings. It has a chancel with north chapel and south vestry, a clerestoried nave aisled north and south, a north porch, and a circular west tower.
Only the west wall of the nave survives in situ from the 12th-century church. The tower and north aisle were added in the 13th century, the richly-carved 12th-century doorway being reset in the north aisle. The nave roof was probably renewed at the same time and the chancel rebuilt and extended. There is no surviving evidence for alteration in the 14th century but much was done in the 15th century. The north arcade was rebuilt, the wall above it raised to include a clerestorey, and a new nave roof of flattish pitch put on. The north chapel was added or rebuilt and its aisle wall raised to take a new roof with parapets and allow for new and larger windows. New windows were also inserted in the south wall of the nave. The chancel was rebuilt or refenestrated, the chancel arch probably enlarged, and a rood-screen, with a loft approached from a stair turret on the south, was added. There was an altar against its south end. A west doorway was cut into the tower, and the south doorway may have been blocked at the same time; a timber-framed porch was built outside the north door.
The cache has a log book but no pen so please bring one with you.
If any body would like to expand to this series please do, could you please let sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.