Church of St Mary the Virgin, Fordwich

The Church of St Mary the Virgin stands in the small town of Fordwich, Kent, about five kilometres northeast of Canterbury. It is an old redundant Anglican church, now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. The building dates from Norman times, with later additions from the 12th to 18th centuries. Anglo-Saxon material remains in the nave, while the chancel and north aisle were added in the 12th century. The west tower was built in the following century, and 14th-century windows were inserted into the south wall. The church closed in 1995 and was taken into the Trust’s care the following year. The church is built from ragstone, flint, brick and rendered sections, with tiled roofs. Its plan includes a nave with a north aisle and south porch, a chancel, and a west tower topped by a shingled broach spire. Inside, the tower base holds a bread shelf, and 18th-century box pews line the nave. A civic pew in the northeast corner once held the mayor’s mace, marked by a cartouche of the Cinque Port Arms. The large Norman font, made of Bethersden marble, stands between the nave and aisle, topped by a 17th-century cover. The east window contains 20th-century stained glass by Martin Travers, commemorating a rector who died in 1931. Medieval glass in the nave shows scenes such as the Coronation of the Virgin and emblems of Saints Mark and Luke. A brass dated 1605 and three 17th-century hatchments are also present. The single-manual organ, made by G. M. Holdich, was rebuilt in 1899 and moved here from Canterbury in 1908. Four bells cast by Joseph Hatch in 1624 and 1633 remain in the tower, though they are no longer rung.