St Mary's Church, Sandwich facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Sandwich |
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St Mary's Church, Sandwich, from the north
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| OS grid reference | TR329584 |
| Location | Sandwich, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 19 May 1950 |
| Architect(s) | Joseph Clarke (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic |
| Closed | 1948 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint and stone Tiled roofs |
St. Mary's Church is an old Anglican church in the town of Sandwich, Kent, England. It is a very important building, listed as a Grade I historic site. Today, the Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. You can find the church on Strand Street, near the north end of Sandwich.
Contents
A Look at the Church's Past
St. Mary's Church stands where a convent (a place for nuns) was built a very long time ago, between 664 and 673. This first building was destroyed by the Danes. Later, a queen named Emma rebuilt it. After the Normans took over England, the church was built again.
The church had a main area called a nave, with side sections called aisles. It also had a chancel (the area around the altar) and a tower in the middle. Around the year 1200, the chancel was rebuilt.
The church faced many challenges over the years:
- It was damaged by the French in 1217 and again in 1457.
- An earthquake in 1578 also caused damage.
- In 1667, the central tower fell down, destroying parts of the church.
After the tower collapsed, the church was rebuilt once more. A wide roof was added, covering both the nave and the south aisle. In 1714, a belfry (a tower for bells) was built on the porch. Later, in the mid-1700s, galleries were added inside. The church was repaired and updated between 1869 and 1874 by an architect named Joseph Clarke.
How the Church Looks
Outside the Church
The church is built using different materials, mostly flint (a hard stone) and other types of stone. The roofs are covered with tiles. The church has a wide nave and chancel, a north aisle, and two porches (one on the north and one on the south).
The south porch is like a small tower. Its lower part is made of flint, and the upper part is made of brick. On top of this porch, there is a small wooden belfry with a pointy roof.
Inside the Church
Inside, a large wooden archway separates the north aisle from the nave. This wooden structure replaced the one destroyed when the tower fell. The wooden posts of this archway stand on stone bases that are from the 1300s.
You'll find an eight-sided font (a basin for baptisms) from 1662. It has carvings of quatrefoils, which are shapes like four-leaf clovers. The pulpit (where the preacher stands) is from the 1700s. It used to be part of a larger, three-level pulpit.
The altarpiece (a decorated screen behind the altar) is quite big. It was put in place in 1756. It used to hold panels with the Ten Commandments and the Creed, which are now on the north wall. Also on the wall are the Royal Arms of King Charles II, dated 1660.
In the aisle, there are benches from the 1700s that were moved from a place called Gopsall Hall in 1956. The altar in the aisle used to be in another church in Canterbury. The main altar was added in 1956.
From the medieval period, you can still see special wall spaces called niches, a cupboard called an aumbry, and old floor tiles. In the north wall, there's a space for a tomb from the late 1300s.
The church also has memorials, including a wall tablet from 1606 and a monument from 1808 by a sculptor named Westmacott. The stained glass windows are from the 1800s and 1900s, with some made by famous companies like Ward and Hughes, and Morris & Co.
Churchyard Walls
The walls around the churchyard are also historic and are listed as a Grade II building. The walls on the north, west, and east sides are made of brick, flint, and stone. They date back to the medieval period and the 1600s. The south wall is made of stone and flint and was built during the Victorian times.
The Church Today
In 1948, St. Mary's Church was no longer used as a regular parish church. There were plans to tear it down in 1956. However, it was saved and restored. In 1985, it was given to the Churches Conservation Trust, which protects old churches.
A group called Sandwich St. Mary's Community Trust was started in 1997. They work with the Friends of St. Mary's to manage the building, make it better, and organize events. The church is now known as St. Mary's Arts Centre. It is used for weddings, concerts, art shows, and other events. It is still a holy place, and church services are held there sometimes.
See also
