Igreja de St Nicholas, West Thorney

A very old church with an interesting mix of war graves. Beautifully tranquil right by the sea. Only accessible on foot unless you are in the military.

St Nicholas Church is a pretty medieval church in West Thorney. The church dates to the 12th and 13th centuries and is Grade I-listed.

Saint NICHOLAS, Bishop of Myra, to whom the church in West Thorney is dedicated, is – alongside Saint Martin, Bishop of Tours in France – one of the most popular saints of all. His memorial day in the calendar of saints, December 6th, is probably known to almost every child. On the eve of this day, children used to put their shoes or boots – which had of course been carefully polished – outside the door so that Saint Nicholas could fill them with gifts during the night. In more agricultural areas, it was also customary for children to put out a small gift of food for the donkey, Saint Nicholas's mount (according to another tradition, it was a white horse).