Elham - The Church of St. Mary the Virgin

The Church is presently being renovated and has scaffolding against this South side. © P.E. Blanche 2001

The Nave and Chancel © PE Blanche 2001

The Font © PE Blanche 2001

This is a large and ornate Church which dates from the late 12th Century. The Church guide states that the building is 122 feet long, 50 feet wide and the roof of the Nave is 33 feet high. There are later additions to the building, including the North and South Aisles which were added in the 13th Century, a chapel on the North side added in the 14th Century and the 15th Century tower and North porchway. The above picture is taken from the South side which is probably not as attractive as the North view with its Flemish style porchway. However, because of the lighting and the other buildings surrounding The Square at Elham it is difficult to get a nice picture from that side.

Many of the decorations are, for an English country church, quite "flamboyant" and many were added in the early 20th Century when the Vicar was a Rev'd Alard de Bourbel (1900 - 1934). In fact, above the door to the North Porchway is a figure of the Virgin and Child which was carved and placed there in his memory. The amount of decoration almost suggests a Catholic church or what is often described as "High Church". However, for genealogists that have a connection with this Village there is a fact that should be mentioned about this period that is significant if you are looking for relatives that might have been baptised in this Village. From what I have heard, the Rev'd de Bourbel was either liked or not liked and many of the families in the Village had their children baptised elsewhere rather than coming to the Parish Church during his tenure. I have no opinion as to the person but I'm just repeating what I have heard. Therefore, if you are looking for an elusive relative in Elham, you might try looking at the records of the Wesleyan Chapel or the Baptist Church.

The Eastern end of the Chancel was added in the 13th Century to the basic 12th Century Nave and Chancel but the glass, the reredos and the Altar are all fairly modern, again, added in the late 19th Century and early 20th Century. There is some older glass in the Church including a 15th Century representation of St. Thomas of Canterbury in a 13th Century lancet window. The font is said to have a 12th Century bowl but again the rest of the baptistry was renewed in the early part of the 20th Century. The pews were replaced in the mid 19th Century.