The church dates from 1075 and lies in the north-west corner of the Medway Towns, historically part of Kent, England.

[1] 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.

[2] Evidence of a causewayed road along the bank towards the Frindsbury Peninsula leading to a villa was found in 1819.

[3] The present road and field pattern suggest that there was a substantial Roman agricultural settlement centred near Frindsbury.

Archbishop Lanfranc recovered them again at the Trial of Penenden Heath (c. 1072) and restored them to Bishop Gundulf of Rochester.

[5] Gundulf was responsible for commencing the rebuilding of Rochester Cathedral and establishing the Benedictine Priory of St Andrew based upon it.

He gave the land at Frindsbury to the new priory, though insisting they paid a sum to him or his successors on St Andrew's day.

[4] The original Norman church was rebuilt in stone around 1075 by Paulinus, sacrist of Rochester who gave books and vestments to it.

It became St Nicholas', the parish church of Strood in 1193 and is situated where the Watling Street left the firm ground to run over the marshes to the Medway bridge.

[2] Bishop Gilbert de Glanvill claimed Frinsdsbury back from the monks "as belonging to the maintenance of his table" in 1185.

[5] According to Hasted the bishop succeeded in obtaining the church, but the manor remained in the possession of the monks until the dissolution of the monasteries under Henry VIII in 1523.

The church was extensively restored in 1884, with a large donation from a Mrs Murray, wife to Rev.

As a result of quarrying, the church now stands isolated above chalk cliffs, visible from much of the Medway valley.

The plan is traditional with a rectangular chancel, arch, nave with aisles north and south and west end tower.

Fine views are afforded all round, but access is through the bell chamber which is difficult and not open to the public.

The south aisle extends from the chancel arch back towards the west end, but stops one bay short.

[9] The antiquarian and co-founder of the British Archaeological Association, Charles Roach Smith (1807 – 1890) is buried in the churchyard.

The base of the tower has been refurbished with cupboards made from pews removed from the rear of the church.

Only the westernmost bay of the south wall remains, heavily rebuilt in the 15th century with a modern window.

There is now no trace of a rood loft but Henry Larkin's will of 1471 left goods to pay for its maintenance.

The window in the south wall has on the left a capped and nimbed (haloed) female, otherwise unidentified, that to the right an unnimbed bishop.

The left hand jamb has a nimbed woman with pink underdress and slate blue robe.

Hope believes the figures date from 1256 when Bishop de St. Laurence Martin obtained a grant of land for Frindsbury from Rochester priory and the same year in which St. William of Perth was canonised.

[18] The earliest photographic evidence of an organ shows it situated in a loft above the main entrance.

Music is provided now by an electric organ and by an enthusiastic group drawn from the younger members of the church.

[13] The ringing chamber was probably the medieval priests' lodgings, and as such has the typical window giving a view of the chancel.

As part of a refurbishment sponsored by the Millennium Commission it was hung dead as the service bell and a new fourth ("Carole") was cast by John Taylor & Co.[21] Footnotes Citations Bibliography