St Mary's Church, Fordwich, Kent - The Churches Conservation Trust
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St Mary's Church, Fordwich, Kent - The Churches Conservation Trust
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<strong>Fordwich</strong> <strong>The</strong> settlement of <strong>Fordwich</strong> was first recorded in AD 675 and is today England’s smallest town. It owed its importance to the fact that it was the port on the River <strong>St</strong>our that served Canterbury just three miles (5 km) away to the west. <strong>The</strong> stone that was used to build Canterbury Cathedral was imported from France to the little quay which still remains by the Guildhall, before being taken by road to the city. <strong>Fordwich</strong> was an important maritime settlement and is a member of the Cinque Ports Confederation; an annual Civic service, attended by dignitaries from other Cinque Ports, is held in this church. <strong>St</strong> Mary’s church stands just off the village centre and dates – like most churches in this part of <strong>Kent</strong> – from the Norman period. It was extended in the late 12th century by the addition of a north aisle and again a hundred years later when the chancel was lengthened and a west tower added. <strong>The</strong> large windows on the south side of the church were inserted into the earlier walls in the 14th century and, miraculously, some of the original stained glass survives. In the 18th century large box pews were installed – these were rented to provide an income for the church – and the church re-floored with handmade clay tiles. Very little work was done to the church by the Victorians and many people are taken by the rather rustic interior. <strong>The</strong> cult film A Canterbury Tale (1944 starring Dennis Price, Eric Portman and Sheila Sim) was filmed in and around <strong>Fordwich</strong> and <strong>St</strong> Mary’s enjoyed a starring role. Devotees of the film, which is available on DVD, are drawn to <strong>St</strong> Mary’s from all over the world. <strong>St</strong> Mary’s closed in 1995 and passed to the care of <strong>The</strong> <strong>Church</strong>es <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Trust</strong>. Occasional services take place here whilst regular worship is conducted in <strong>St</strong> Nicholas’ church, <strong>St</strong>urry. 3 5 2 <strong>Trust</strong> churches nearby 1 Capel-le-Ferne, <strong>St</strong> Mary the Virgin 2 Goodnestone, <strong>St</strong> Bartholomew 3 Kingsdown, <strong>St</strong> Catherine 4 Knowlton <strong>St</strong> Clement <strong>The</strong> <strong>Church</strong>es <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Trust</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Church</strong>es <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Trust</strong> is the national charity protecting historic churches at risk. We have saved over 340 beautiful buildings which attract more than a million visitors a year. With our help and with your support they are kept open and in use – living once again at the heart of their communities. We warmly welcome visitors and we hope this leaflet will encourage you to explore these wonderful buildings. For the most up to date opening and access details and directions we recommend checking our website visitchurches.org.uk or phone us on 020 7213 0660 during office hours Monday – Friday. Historic churches, due to their age, often have uneven and worn floors. Please take care, especially in wet weather when floors and steps can be slippery. Your donation will help us protect historic churches for the future. 9 1 4 8 6 7 5 Luddenham, <strong>St</strong> Mary 6 Sandwich, <strong>St</strong> Mary 7 Sandwich, <strong>St</strong> Peter 8 Waldershare, All Saints 9 West <strong>St</strong>ourmouth, All Saints 1 West Smithfield, London EC1A 9EE Tel: 020 7213 0660 Fax: 020 7213 0678 Email: central@tcct.org.uk www.visitchurches.org.uk Registered Charity No. 258612 © <strong>The</strong> <strong>Church</strong>es <strong>Conservation</strong> <strong>Trust</strong> 2010 50p <strong>St</strong> Mary’s <strong>Church</strong> <strong>Fordwich</strong>, <strong>Kent</strong> A walk round guide