Why it matters
St Nicholas has stood above our village for the best part of a thousand years. Its chancel is Norman, and the whole church is listed Grade II*, among the most important historic buildings in the country. The west tower, with its distinctive tiled cap, is later medieval work of the late fourteenth century, so it has watched over Little Chishill for more than 600 years.
Time, weather and age have taken their toll, and the tower now needs vital repairs if it is to be safe and sound for generations to come. In 2016, with a grant of £100,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, we repaired the roof over the body of the church. Now the tower needs the same care.
OUR GOAL: £15,000
We are raising £15,000 to repair the medieval tower, and we are on our way. Watch the church fill up as we climb towards the top of the tower. Every gift takes us higher, thank you.
Our first step: the Valuation Day
On Saturday 1 August 2026 we held a Valuation Day at the church. Members of the local community were invited to bring along their antiques and treasures to be valued by two antiques specialists, Christina and Robert Prescott-Walker, who between them bring many years of experience, including at Sotheby's in New York. We served cream teas and drinks through the afternoon, and together it all raised £772 in profit for the tower fund.
It was a beautiful day and a real success. It was lovely to see members of the congregation, the wider community, and family and friends all come together to celebrate this remarkable building and to enjoy spending time in its company. It is the first step towards the tower, and there will be more to come.
Help preserve this ancient building
St Nicholas has stood above our village for nearly a thousand years, and keeping a medieval building sound is a constant task for a very small community. Every gift goes directly to the care and repair of the building itself, held in our own fund for this church, and not paid into central church funds.
If you would like to make a donation towards the tower and the fabric of the building, please get in touch using the form below, or email us at stnicholaschurchlittlechishill@gmail.com, and we will tell you the simplest way to give. However much you can manage, thank you: you are helping to keep this remarkable place standing for the generations who come after us.
Hire our marquee and help the tower fund grow!
We have a marquee available to hire for events in and around the village. It is a lovely way to celebrate, and every booking goes straight into the tower fund, so you are helping to save the building at the same time. To enquire about dates and prices, please get in touch.
Every donation, whatever its size, helps keep St Nicholas standing above our village for the generations that follow ours.
Thank you.
St Nicholas Church, Little Chishill, part of the Diocese of Chelmsford. Donations are received for the repair and upkeep of the church building.