St Mary's Church, Walmer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Walmer |
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| The Church of St Mary the Virgin | |
West view of the church
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 St Mary's Church, Walmer
Location in Kent
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| 51°12′04″N 1°23′37″E / 51.2012°N 1.3937°E | |
| OS grid reference | TR368504 |
| Location | Walmer, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Sir Arthur Blomfield |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Canterbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
The Church of Saint Mary the Virgin, often called St Mary's, is a church in Walmer, Kent, England. It belongs to the Church of England.
Contents
History of St Mary's Church
Why Was St Mary's Built?
St Mary's Church was designed by Arthur Blomfield in 1887. It was built to help the other two churches in the area. These were Old St Mary's, a small medieval church, and St Saviour's. St Saviour's was a Victorian chapel of ease for local fishermen. A chapel of ease is a smaller church built to serve people who live far from the main parish church.
Original Plans for the Church
When St Mary's was first designed, there were plans for a tall spire. However, this spire was never actually built.
Art and Architecture of St Mary's
Exploring the Church's Layout
When you enter St Mary's, you step into a three-part baptistery. This leads into a tall nave, which is the main part of the church where people sit. The nave has narrow aisles on both sides. Above the aisles, there are windows called a clerestory, which let in lots of light.
Understanding the Windows and Their Stories
The large window at the west end of the church shows scenes from Jesus's life related to the sea. These include the miraculous catch of fish and Jesus calming the storm. It also shows symbols of the Passion (events leading to Jesus's crucifixion) and figures like Saints Peter and Paul.
The aisles have five sets of three tall, narrow windows called lancets. The windows on the north side show different saints and apostles. Those on the south side feature important figures from the Old Testament, from Moses to Hezekiah. Most of these beautiful windows were made by a company called Powell.
Connecting Different Parts of the Church
The aisles don't end in full arches. Instead, they have slanted arches that connect to other rooms. The south aisle connects to the vestry, where priests prepare for services. The north aisle connects to the soldiers' chapel.
The central nave is separated from the chancel by a low screen made of alabaster. The chancel is the area near the altar. This design shows that the architect, Blomfield, followed the ideas of the Cambridge Camden Society. This group believed that the chancel and nave should be separate parts of the church.
The High Altar and Eastern Windows
At the very east end of the church is the High Altar. Above it is a decorative screen called a reredos, also designed by Powell's. Above the reredos are three tall lancet windows. These windows show the Ascension, which is when Jesus went up to heaven. On either side of these windows are mosaic images of angels. One angel is captioned Sperate, meaning "Hope for," and the other is captioned Surgite, meaning "Arise." The floor tiles in the sanctuary area are made of brown opus sectile, a type of mosaic work.
