Nackington comes from the Old English ‘næt’ meaning 'wet, moist' with ‘ing’ as a
‘place-name forming suffix’ and 'dun' for a 'hill, down'; therefore, a 'hill at a
wet place'.
Nackington parish church is a Grade: I listed building, dedicated to
Saint Mary the Virgin. The Normans built it in the 12th century, with additions,
in the 13th century, of two lancets inserted into the north wall of the chancel,
and a tower built to the west end of the nave. Later that century they constructed
a large chapel to the south side of the chancel. Settlement difficulties occurred
in the 15th century and buttresses needed to be added to the north and south sides
of the west wall. In 1724, Samuel Knight cast and hung a bell in the tower. In 1800,
Edward Hasted described St Mary’s as ‘small, and consists of one isle and two chancels,
having at the north-west corner a low wooden pointed turret, in which hangs one bell.
This church is very small. It is kept very neat and in good repair. By the several
narrow small circular windows it seems antient, built perhaps not long after the
time of Lansranc’. In the 19th century, the Victorians carried out major restoration
work with the rebuilding of the east walls of the chancel, together with the east
and south walls of the south chapel. Later that century the north porch also needed
to be completely rebuilt…. more
