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This is
a very difficult Church to find as it is set back quite a distance
from the road behind an old farm house, farm buildings and a
tennis court! Add to this the fact that it was a rather dreary
and misty morning and it was a wonder that I ever stumbled upon
it. The Church is located at the edge of the Romney Marshes
and for those that have an interest in smuggling and the families
that were involved in the trade, several of the Ransley children
were baptised at this tiny Church.
One
of the things that immediately confronts the visitor is the
Church bell which is not in the tower but has it's own stand
just off the ground by the Western corner of the Church. The
top of the tower, which seems to be set at some rather unusual
angles, is possibly not strong enough to hold it as it weighs
just over 9 cwt. The other possibility is that the tower is
not quite tall enough to take the supports, wheels and other
equipment that would be required - and would it all really be
worth it for one bell? The bell was paid for by a fishmonger
of London and it is possible that it originally hung at nearby
Bilsington Priory. The bell actually predates the tower which
was added to the Church at the end of the 16th Century.
The
original Church is said to have been built in the 12th Century
and has a blocked Norman window over the door. The walls are
extremely thick, including the division between the Nave and
the Chancel. The archway to the Chancel is slightly pointed
and Early English giving the impression that the Chancel was
built onto the Church in the 13th Century.
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