All Saints Church, Frindsbury

The Romans built a stone bridge across the Medway and laid a road on a causeway across the marshy ground below what is now Frindsbury. Evidence of a causewayed road along the bank towards the Frindsbury Peninsula leading to a villa was found in 1819. The present road and field pattern suggest that there was a substantial Roman agricultural settlement centred near Frindsbury. Bishop Eardulf of Rochester obtained Freandisberi and Wicham in 747. Either in confirmation or in addition Offa, King of Mercia, and Sigered, joint King of Kent, granted 20 sulungs of land at Aeslingham in Freodesbrei to the bishop in 764. In 778, King Egbert gave more land to the bishop. In 840, 994, and 998 AD Strood…

]] As a result of quarrying, the church now stands isolated above chalk cliffs, visible from much of the Medway valley. It is surrounded by graveyards. The West Churchyard is managed by Medway Council and the East Churchyard by the PCC.

Whether there was a Saxon church at Frindsbury is not known for certain, however Wade regards it as "highly probable". The original Norman church was rebuilt in stone around 1075 by Paulinus, sacrist of Rochester who gave books and vestments to it. The Domesday Book records the presence of the church in 1086, but no further details of it. Domesday does however record that the bishop was entitled to 10 shillings (50p) from the manor of Frindsbury. The church was rebuilt in 1127. The term "rebuilding" may refer to a large repair rather than a complete reconstruction. Dugdale says that John (Bishop of Rochester 1125–1137) "built the church of Frindsbury ... of stone, from the treasury of…