St Mary's Church, Sandwich

St Mary’s Church stands in the Kent town of Sandwich on Strand Street near the northern edge of the old centre. The present building occupies ground once filled by a convent founded in the 7th or early 8th century by Domneva. After Danish raids and Norman rebuilding it became a large medieval church with nave, aisles, chancel and central tower. Successive disasters—French raids, an earthquake and a collapsing tower—led to repeated reconstructions, the last major one carried out by Joseph Clarke between 1869 and 1874. The church is recognised as a Grade I listed building and cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. Its exterior mixes flint, stone and brick, with a south porch topped by a small timber belfry. Inside, a timber arcade on 14th-century bases separates the north aisle from the nave, and an octagonal font from 1662 carries carved quatrefoils. The pulpit, altarpiece, Royal Arms of Charles II, medieval niches and floor tiles all survive, together with stained glass by Ward and Hughes, Morris & Co and others. The churchyard walls are Grade II listed, their medieval and later fabric showing changes from the 17th to the 19th centuries. Though no longer the main parish church, St Mary’s is still consecrated and hosts occasional services. It also functions as St Mary’s Arts Centre, used for weddings, concerts and exhibitions, managed by a local charity in partnership with the Friends of St Mary’s.