St Mary's Church, Luddenham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Luddenham |
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St Mary's Church, Luddenham, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | TQ 992 631 |
| Location | Luddenham, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 24 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint, partly rendered, and brick Roofs tiled |
St Mary's Church is a very old Anglican church in the village of Luddenham, Kent, England. It is no longer used for regular church services, which means it is a redundant church. This special building is listed as a Grade I listed building, showing how important it is. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after the church, making sure it stays safe. You can find St Mary's Church in a farmyard, about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Faversham.
The Church's History
This church has a long history, starting way back in the 12th century (the 1100s). The chancel, which is the part of the church where the altar is, was added in the 13th century (the 1200s).
Over the years, parts of the church were changed or rebuilt. The tower was rebuilt in 1807. Later, between 1881 and 1884, the church was restored, meaning it was repaired and updated. A porch was added in 1889.
St Mary's Church stopped being used for regular services on May 16, 1972. On March 1, 2002, it was officially given to the Churches Conservation Trust. Today, the church is open every day for visitors to explore its history.
Looking at the Architecture
St Mary's Church is built mostly from flint, which is a hard, grey stone. Some parts of the flint have been covered with stucco, a type of plaster. You can even see some old Roman tiles that were reused in the building! The top part of the tower is made of brick, and the roofs are covered with tiles.
The church has a simple layout:
- A main area called the nave.
- A south porch at the entrance.
- A chancel at the east end.
- A tower in the southwest corner.
The lower part of the tower is the oldest, dating back to the 12th century. It's made of flint, and its corners (called quoins) are made from Roman tiles. The upper part of the tower was rebuilt in 1807 using brick. It has a battlemented parapet at the top, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
The main entrance, called the west door, is built in the Norman style. It has cool zigzag patterns carved into it. The windows in the nave are lancets, which are tall, narrow windows. Some of these are from the 14th century, and others were added in the 19th century. The chancel has two paired lancet windows in the east wall and two separate ones in the north wall.
Inside the church, you can find a special 13th-century coffin lid. It's carved with hands holding a heart, which is a unique detail.
Features Outside the Church
In the churchyard around St Mary's, there are three other structures that are also protected as Grade II listed buildings. This means they are important historical features.
- To the north of the chancel, there's a monument from the early 19th century. The words carved on it are now too faded to read.
- Northwest of the church, you'll find a chest tomb, also from the 19th century. Its carvings are also hard to read today.
- Southwest of the church, there's a pair of headstones from 1745 and 1747. These old stones are carved with interesting designs like heads, skulls, and a bible, all inside a heart shape.
See also
