The Chancel © PE Blanche 2001 The Font.. © PE Blanche 2001

This is a slightly unusual Church for this area of Kent mainly because of the amount of red brick that is used in the tower. Most Churches in East Kent particularly have 14th or 15th Century towers built of flint or a combination of flint and Kentish ragstone. The tower of the Church here at Ringwould was built a little later than most in the 17th Century and as was the style at the time, incorporated the brick in the construction. The clock, which cannot be seen in the above picture because it is on the West face of the tower, was added at a much later date. At the base of the tower, inside the Church and next to the font (pictured lower left), is a small plaque which reads as follows: "This clock was placed in the tower by the parishioners of Ringwould, in memory of all who died in the Great War, 1914 - 1918, and as an act of Thanksgiving for the merciful preservation of the Village. August, 1920." The earliest part of the Church, being the Chancel, was built in the 12th Century. The Nave is also said to be 12th Century in one source I have although another states that it is 14th Century. The Chancel Arch is not 12th Century but more likely to be 13th Century and I would therefore tend to date the Nave to the same period with a small North Aisle added in the 14th Century. The doorway in the South Porchway is rounded and suggests that there might well have been an earlier Saxon Church in this location. With the later tower, it would appear that there has been gradual enlargement and improvements made to the Church over the years up until the present day. On the North side of the churchyard are some impressive yews which are said to date back to early days of the Church. Although I found nothing outstanding in the Church in the way of architecture, it is beautifully kept and an absolute credit to its Churchwardens. The only criticism that I have that there were no copies of the Church history available when I visited which always makes it a little difficult for me to write up these pages. Obviously, the local Village historian will know a lot more about their individual churches that I can hope to glean from a quick visit.