Old St Mary's, Walmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Blessed Virgin Mary Church |
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Old St Mary's Church, Walmer, from the southeast
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 The Blessed Virgin Mary Church
Location in Kent
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| 51°12′11″N 1°23′13″E / 51.203°N 1.387°E | |
| OS grid reference | TR 256 628 |
| Location | Walmer, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Walmer Parish Churches |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 1 June 1949 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint, roughcast |
Old St Mary's Church, also known as The Blessed Virgin Mary Church, is a very old and special Anglican church. It's located in Upper Walmer, a town in Kent, England. This church is so important that it's listed as a Grade II* building, meaning it has a lot of historical and architectural value.
Contents
History and Design of Old St Mary's
This church was built way back in 1120, during the early Norman period. It started as a small chapel for the nearby Walmer Manor house, which is now in ruins.
Building Materials and Original Look
The church is quite small. Its main part, called the nave, is built from flint stones. The lower part of the chancel (the area near the altar) is covered in a rough plaster called roughcast.
The church still has its original Norman entrance door and the arch leading into the chancel. You can also see two original windows on the south side.
Changes Over Time
In the early 1800s, around 1825 to 1826, the north wall of the nave was removed. A large extension, called a north aisle, was added. However, this extension was taken down in 1898. This brought the church back to its original size.
The south doorway is from the early Norman period. It has large decorative columns, called shafts, and carved tops, known as capitals, shaped like scallops. The arch leading to the chancel has similar decorations. However, its inner arch has cushion-shaped capitals and extra decorative moulding.
Famous Worshippers and Name Change
The famous Duke of Wellington used to attend services here. He worshipped at Old St Mary's when he stayed at Walmer Castle. He was the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports at the time. A special plaque, called a hatchment, honoring him hangs on the north wall. It was put back in its original spot when the north aisle was removed in 1898.
Old St Mary's was once the only church in Walmer. But in the 1800s, two new churches were built: St Saviour's and New St Mary's. Because of this, the original church became known as Old St Mary's.
Special Features Inside the Church
Old St Mary's Church holds several interesting historical items.
- Font: There is a simple font (a basin for baptisms) with a cone-shaped cover. It dates back to 1664.
- Wall Painting: Above the chancel arch, you can see a patched wall painting. It's very old, and what it shows is no longer clear.
- Stained Glass:
- At the east end of the chancel, there is a beautiful stained glass window. It shows Our Lady and Child and was made around 1913.
- Other stained glass windows from the 20th century show Saint Raphael and Saint Elizabeth of Hungary.
- Monuments:
- A stone tablet honors William L'Isle and Edmund L'Isle, both of whom passed away in 1637. It is located in the chancel.
- Many other stone tablets from the 1800s can be found in the nave.
- A monument to Sir Henry Harvey, who died in 1810, is in the middle of the south wall.
- Piscina: On the north end of the nave's south wall, there is a 14th-century piscina. This is a small basin with a drain, used for washing sacred vessels.
See also
- St. George's Episcopal Memorial Church: This church in the United States has a stained glass window. It contains pieces of glass collected from Old St Mary's Church after it was damaged during World War II.
