Fordwich
 - St. Mary
 the Virgin

The Nave and Chancel © PE Blanche 2001

The Norman Font © PE Blanche 2001

There has been a settlement at Forwich since at least 675 A.D. and the Church of St. Mary the Virgin, just down the lane from the Town Hall, contains evidence of Saxon work in the base of its tower of flint and rubble which was actually a late 13th Century addition. The main part of the Church consisting of the Nave and first part of the Cancel was constructed in the 11th Century with various additions being made, in the form of a North Aisle and extended Chancel, over the following two hundred years. There was considerable restoration to the Church in the mid 1800's including work on the tower and the spire but one scheme, which was to replace the box pews with the standard open pews, was, thankfully, not carried out.

The box pews in the Nave are mostly from the 18th Century while some features of the singer's pews in the Chancel date from the 17th Century. In the Northeast corner of the Nave are 17th century wrought iron fixtures to hold the Town mace while on the wall above this is a cartouche plaque bearing the all-important arms of the Cinque Ports. Above the Chancel arch is a plaster tympanum which would originally, as can be seen from the shape, have filled the upper section of the arch. It bears the arms of King William III and rather unusually, also incorporates the Ten Commandments. The majority of country parish churches in Kent have a painted Royal coat of arms somewhere, more usually in a lozenge shape, to denote that the monarch is also the head of the established church in England. It very much varies from church to church as to the arms of which monarch appears.

The square bowl of the font in the North Aisle made of Bethersden marble dates from the 11th Century, an extremely early example, and has five arches along each side. The present cover is a recent addition having been made in the 17th Century. At the East end of the North Aisle is the vestry which was once a chapel to St. Catherine. There is a paneled screen to section off the vestry and at one time a model ship stood on the top of it. Although it was only presented to the Church in 1933 by William Leighton and probably of no great value, it was subsequently stolen which, unfortunately, is not an unusual fate for any moveable objects in these country churches which is why so many of them are locked and therefore deprives us of easy access to their delightful interiors.