St Mary's Church, Higham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Higham |
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St Mary's Church, Higham, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | TQ 716 742 |
| Location | Higham, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 21 November 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint and ragstone Tiled roofs |
St Mary's Church is a very old Anglican church in the village of Higham, Kent, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This special building is protected as a Grade I listed building. This means it's very important historically. The Churches Conservation Trust takes care of it. The church stands in a quiet area called Church Street. It is about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) northwest of Rochester.
Contents
Early History of St Mary's Church
St Mary's Church has a very long history. It was first built way back in the Saxon era. This was even before the Norman Conquest in 1066. After the Normans arrived, the church was rebuilt. You can still see some Norman parts in the church today.
During the 1100s, a nunnery (a place where nuns live) was started nearby. Around 1280, the nunnery moved to a spot right across from the church. In 1357, the nunnery got special permission from the Pope to raise money for repairs. It is believed this money helped build a new south aisle for the church. This new aisle was as big as the original main part of the church, called the nave. The nunnery closed down in 1522.
In 1710, the church's spire was built. The church was repaired and made new again in the early 1800s. The south porch, which is the entrance area, was also built during the 1800s.
A famous event happened at the church in 1860. Charles Dickens' daughter, Kate, got married there. In 1863, the church was restored again by an architect named Speechly. New furniture was put inside. The windows were replaced to look just like the old ones. However, by the mid-1800s, most people in Higham had moved away from St Mary's area. So, a new church, dedicated to St John, was built about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) further south in 1862.
Architecture of St Mary's Church
Outside the Church
The church is built using a mix of flint and ragstone. The flint stones are arranged to look like horizontal stripes. Some parts of the church, like a buttress at the southeast corner, have small pieces of flint pushed into the mortar. This is called galletting. Other buttresses have tiles placed between the stones. The roof is made of tiles, and the spire is covered with shingles.
The church's layout includes a main area called the nave. It also has a south aisle that is almost the same size. At the east end of the nave is the Lady Chapel. This used to be the original church's chancel (the area around the altar). The current chancel is at the east end of the south aisle. The nave also has two small rooms. The larger one is the vestry, where clergy prepare. The other small room can only be entered from outside the church. The north wall of the church has Norman features. You can see a window that was blocked up and the outline of an old doorway.
Inside the Church
You enter the church through the south door, which was built in the 1400s. This door is beautifully carved with designs like roses, lilies, and human faces. Between the nave and the aisle, there is a three-bay arcade. This means there are three arched openings supported by columns.
A wooden screen from the 1400s separates the nave from the Lady Chapel. This is called a rood screen. It is carved and has five arches, with the middle one forming the doorway. Between the arches are columns, each topped with a small spire. The carved wooden pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the same time period. The font, used for baptisms, is Norman. The rest of the furniture inside the church was added during the 1863 restoration.
The Lady Chapel holds two tombs. One of them is dated 1615. There is also an aumbry, which is a small cupboard, complete with its door. In the south wall of the chancel, you can find a piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels) and a medieval tomb. On the wall next to the altar, there are panels with the Ten Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Creed written on them. The colorful stained glass windows were added in the 1800s and 1900s.
Recent History and Present Day
More repairs were done to the roof and spire of St Mary's during the 1900s. The church was later declared "redundant," meaning it was no longer needed for regular services. In 1987, it was given to the Redundant Churches Fund. This group later became the Churches Conservation Trust. In the same year, St Mary's was replaced as the main parish church by St John's Church.
During the 2000s, the Trust organized more repairs. They fixed the stonework of the south aisle, the porch, and the east end of the church. The outside flintwork on the south aisle wall had started to separate from the inner part of the wall. Workers had to pin the two parts back together. In early 2009, a group called "The Friends of St. Mary's Church" was started. They work with the Trust to raise money for the church and organize events.
See also
