Part 1 of the history of Laindon's historic buildings, beginning with the oldest and most important surviving building in the area.
St Nicholas Church on Church Hill is the outstanding surviving historic building in Laindon. The present church is largely medieval and stands on a site where a church existed by the thirteenth century. Historic England lists it at Grade I, recognising its exceptional architectural and historic importance.
The building is constructed from a mixture of ragstone rubble and puddingstone, with old brick and tile incorporated into the fabric. The nave contains some of the earliest surviving work, while the chancel and south aisle were added or substantially developed during the fourteenth century.
One of the church's most unusual features is its weatherboarded timber west tower. Historic England describes it as an important example of an Essex timber-framed tower, with heavy internal framing and braces rising independently through the building. Above it is the familiar shingled spire that gives St Nicholas its distinctive appearance on the Laindon skyline.
The tower is generally dated to the first half of the fourteenth century. Its survival is especially important because so much of Laindon's older built environment disappeared during twentieth-century redevelopment.
The church contains a number of features that reveal its long history. These include medieval stonework, old timber roof construction, piscinae and historic memorials and brasses. The building was altered over the centuries rather than created in a single period, which is why Norman, medieval and later work can all be found within the present structure.
At the west end of St Nicholas is a timber-framed annexe traditionally known as the Priest's House. It appears to have been added later than the main medieval church, possibly in the seventeenth century or earlier. The small building became one of the most unusual parts of the church complex because it was later used for education.
From around 1837 the Priest's House became associated with Puckle's School, the early local school supported by the Puckle charity. James Hornsby became its best-known schoolmaster and taught there for 48 years. The school eventually outgrew the tiny premises and a purpose-built school opened on Church Hill in 1877.
St Nicholas underwent a substantial restoration in the early 1880s. Work carried out between 1881 and 1883 was designed by the Chelmsford architect Frederic Chancellor. The restoration cost about £1,700 and repaired the fabric while retaining important older work, including the timber framing associated with the Priest's House.
The church continued to require maintenance during the twentieth century. Fundraising in the early 1970s helped meet the cost of retiling the roof, with a thanksgiving service held in September 1973 after the work was completed.