Hawkhurst - St. Laurence Church

St. Laurence Church from the Southeast © P.E. Blanche 2000

The font at St. Laurence Church, Hawkinge - c.1450. The insert shows the carving of "The Green Man" which faces the tower at the West end of the Church. © PE Blanche 2000

The Lady Chapel, St. Laurence Church, Hawkhurst. © P.E. Blanche 2000

This is a most attractive sandstone building and has to impress anyone whether you are interested in churches or not. I would recommend a visit to St. Laurence whether you have family or ancestors from Hawkhurst or not. We are fortunate in many ways that the Church is still here. On August 13th, 1944 a flying bomb landed in the churchyard causing considerable damage to the Church and most of its windows. It wasn't until 13 years later in 1957 that the Church was reopened. Firstly, we have to be grateful that there wasn't a direct hit on the Church and secondly, at the time there was sufficient support for the Church that it wasn't made "redundant" , as it very well might have been today. Having said that, I visited the Church just at the end of the Sunday morning service and it was pleasing to note that the Church is still very well attended with many of the parishioners staying on to talk to themselves and the Vicar before making their way home for Sunday dinner - or the local pub?! The Vicar was most pleasant and was very interested that I had driven some 40 odd miles to photograph his Church.

On the left is a picture of the font which has stood in the Church since around 1450. Anyone who can trace their family connections back to this Parish and this particular Church (remembering that there is a second Victorian Church on the main street of the Village) will be looking at the place where the baptism of that ancestor took place. On the West face of the font is a carving of "The Green Man" which I have duplicated with an enlargement in the bottom left-hand corner.

In a book I have which was published in 1908 it states that, "The Large Church at Hawkhurst ........ is remarkable for its decorated east window". Unfortunately, the Church now lacks most of its ancient glass although some fragments were collected after the bombing and what could be used has been replaced in parts of the west window and Lady Chapel. However, this was not the first attack on the windows at the Church. When Canon Jeffries was the Rector here, he removed portions of the glass in 1849 that held ancient heraldic designs as he did not consider it appropriate for a church.

The Church is also noted for the two parvis chambers over the north and south porches which makes these entrances look very substantial. The room over the north porch was originally known as "The Treasury" and was used by the officials of Battle Abbey to receive their rents in this locality.