Great Wakering

Great Wakering is a village in Essex, England. The nearest large town is Southend, which is approximately four miles to the west. Public transport to the village is via a bus service from Southend, and the village is well served with several historic public houses, a primary school, a Co-Operative supermarket, post office, hairdresser's and several small and characterful village shops. Great Wakering consists mainly of two roads: the High Street, which runs from the junction of Star Lane, and New Road, which begins outside St. Nicholas' Parish Church and runs down to the bridges for Foulness Island.

According to a medieval tradition, Wakering was the site of a monastery during the seventh century AD. Two Christian cousins of King Ecgberht of Kent, named Aethelred and Aethelberht, were murdered at Eastry, a royal dwelling in the Kingdom of Kent, during King Ecgberht's reign . They were prevented by a miracle from being buried at Canterbury, and were taken instead to an existing monastery at Wakering in the Kingdom of Essex and enshrined there as saints. Ecgberht's brother and successor, King Hlothhere of Kent, is said by William of Malmesbury to have ridiculed the idea of their sanctity.

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