A cache in the über suburbs that grew in this area during the 1930's. Unlike the centuries-old village churches that the CM series celebrates, this cache marks one of the more modern churches that were established to serve the theological needs of the growing suburban population.
St. Michael’s is somewhat of an anomaly in this group of church micros, in that a church has been established on this site for over 800 years. However, the current church was built in the 1930s as the area around it became more populous.
When, in 1852, East Wickham became a parish in its own right it included only 666 souls, and stretched to Shoulder of Mutton Green in the west and to the main London-Dover road in the south. The village itself housed only 129 people, who were mostly local farm labourers. In 1895 the railway came to Welling and by 1903 trams were running along Wickham Lane, although the area was still largely rural. It was the 1914-1918 war that brought about the first big changes to the village when 600 huts were built to help accommodate workers from Woolwich Arsenal. In 1926 the 'old' church was restored and, amongst other things, the old box pews were removed but still the building only had room for 135 people. That was not nearly enough now that the parish had a population of thousands, not hundreds, and new housing estates continued to spring up.
A new church was needed, and an appeal to pay for it was begun. The foundation stone was laid in 1932 and the church was dedicated on February 18th 1933. The total cost was over £10,000. The new church, designed by Thomas Ford is based on the 'basilica' style of many Roman public buildings.
St. Michael's is a 20th century building based on a two thousand year old style, and it includes a number of treasures from the 'old' church, which remains on the site (and has its own Church Micro). There are the bells, the brasses and the crests - not to mention the stones from an earlier medieval building on this site which have been incorporated into the cross on the outside wall and the pillars beneath it.
To find the cache you will need to look at the blue notice board at the given coordinates. Count each line and word on the left of the board, regardless of font, size and colour of text.
N51 28.
FIRST LINE, second word
FIRST LINE, fifth word + sixth word
THIRD LINE, first word
E000 06.
FIRST LINE, fourth word
FIRST LINE, sixth word
FIRST LINE, first word – second word
**************************************
For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
*************************************