The meaning of the name Wakering is unclear. The most accepted theory as to the name Wakering is that it is the name of an east Saxon tribe called the "Waeccer" as the suffix "-ing" has Saxon origins According to a medieval tradition, Wakering (probably Great Wakering) was the site of a monastery during the 7th century AD. Two Christian cousins of King
Ecgberht of Kent, named
Æthelred and Æthelberht, were murdered at
Eastry, a royal dwelling in the
Kingdom of Kent, during King Ecgberht's reign (664–673). 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. In
Saxon times, Wakering appears to have formed a
vill. By the time of the
Domesday Book in 1086, the vill had fragmented into two
manors, listed as
Wachering in the
Rochford Hundred of Essex. Both manors were held by Swein of Essex in 1086. The book itself does not distinguish between Great Wakering and Little Wakering, but historians have deduced that the manor worth £10 per year was Great Wakering and the manor worth £4 per year was Little Wakering. No priest or church is mentioned at either of the Wakering manors in the Domesday Book, but each became a parish. The oldest parts of Great Wakering's
Church of England parish church, dedicated to St Nicholas, date from around 1100. The board of rectors or vicars inside begins in the year 1200 with simply "Robert", and the next incumbent equally simply named "Peter". This church is one of the three oldest churches in south-east Essex As well as the parish church, the village also has a
United Reformed Church in Chapel Lane, a
Methodist church, and an
Evangelical (formerly
Peculiar People) church on Great Wakering High Street. Great Wakering has many community links to the
Ministry of Defence-governed
Foulness Island. The village was badly hit during the
North Sea flood of 1953 and locals fear a re-occurrence of the devastation now that tidal levels are rising and flood defences eroding. Of architectural interest is an old
brickworks site (now partly demolished) at Star Lane, which was once served by an industrial narrow-gauge railway, the remains of which can still be seen in the bushes. Brick-making was once the main industry in Wakering. The factory finally closed in 1991, but the four towers remained a focal point on the horizon until September 2007, when the towers were demolished. In 2016, planning permission was granted to build new housing on the site. Much of the land area around Great Wakering is closed to the public as it forms part of a
Ministry of Defence (MOD) firing range – the "New Ranges". When firing is not taking place, however, the MOD beach at Wakering Stairs can be accessed via a rough road at Landwick security check-in. It is also possible to go over the MOD land and walk across the range from Cupid's Corner to follow a muddy track to the seawall which offers great views over the
Maplin Sands. The MOD beach is a great spot for watching
Brent geese and waders. There is much military debris around the area such as old firing targets, railway tracks, a lookout tower and several ruined batteries. There is also access here to the tidal path
The Broomway, which leads to Fisherman's Head on Foulness Island. ==Sport and leisure==