The Church of the Blessed Mary, Walmer |
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| The Church of the Blessed Mary (commonly known as Old St Mary's) and the adjoining Manor House were probably built around 1120 by one of the d'Auberville family. The ruins of the Manor House can still be seen against the north wall of the churchyard (picture, right). |
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There are some signs of the original decoration above and to the right of
the Norman Chancel Arch (right) which were uncovered when the Victorian
whitewash was cleaned away.
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| The Chancel is of Early English (13th c.) date. In the south wall of the Sanctuary are two niches, which are thought to have been an Aumbry (a cupboard for the Sacred Vessels) and a Credence. |
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In 1192, Sir William d'Auberville founded an Abbey at Langdon, near Dover,
and gave the Church to the Abbey as part of its endowment. It remained in the possession of the Abbey until about 1540, when Henry VIII granted it to the Archbishop of Canterbury as a Parish Church for Walmer.
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As the Parish grew the church eventually became too small and, in 1816, the
north wall of the nave was demolished and a large, square extension was
built. At the same time, the pulpit was moved to a position to the
east of the south door, making it very unusual in having the congregation
facing south instead of east. The plan (right), from a picture in the church, shows the layout of the church at that time. A Vestry was added to the west of the Porch and a small tower to the west side of the extension. There was also a gallery around the three sides of the extension. |
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Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington,
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1829 to his death in 1852, was a
regular visitor to Walmer and used to worship here. He had his own pew
in the extension. The wooden hatchment (left) is reputed to have been placed on his coffin when it was taken to Deal for onward transport to London. It now hangs high on the north wall near the Chancel Arch. |
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| The new Parish Church was built in 1888; ten years later the ugly extension was removed and the church was returned to its original shape. | |||
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A Piscina can be seen in the south wall of the Nave near the Chancel Arch. This may have been moved here from the Sanctuary when the extension was added. |
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The bowl of the font is medieval, but the stand is (relatively) modern. The cover is dated 1664. | ||
| There are a number of historically interesting memorials in the church and churchyard, the oldest being this one to the brothers William and Edmond L'Isle. |
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"IN MEMORIE OF WILLM: L'ISLE ONE OF THE ESQ:RS FOR THE BODIE OF KINGE IAMES. & OF OVR ROYALL SOVERAIGNE KINGE CHARLES WHOSE SCIENCE IN THE ARTES TOVNGES & ANTIQVITIES THE VNIVERSITIE OF CAMBRIDGE & HIS BOOKES EXTANT DO MANIFEST AS ALSO OF EDMUND L'ISLE HIS BROTHER SEWER OF THE CHAMBER TO QVEENE ELIZ: KINGE IAMES AND OVR SAID SOVERAIGNE KINGE CHARLES, HAVING BEEN XXI YEARES CAP: OF WALMER CASTLE FINIALLY DESCENDED FROM THE LORDES DE L'ISLE & ROVGEMONT: FROM SIR IO: L'ISLE ONE OF THE FIRST FOVNDERS OF THE HO:BL ORDER OF THE GARTER, ROBERT HIS SONNE WHO GAVE UNTO KINGE ED: THE THIRD LXXXVI KNIGHT'S FEESE AS IS RECORDED .. FROM WAR IN FITZ-GERALD CHAMBERLAIN TO KINGE IOHN & ISABELL DE FORTIBVS COVNTES OF DEVON . THE SAYED WILLIAM DEPARTED THIS LIFE IN SEPTEMBER 1879 & THE SAYED EDMUND THE FIRST OF OCTOBER FOLLOWING, AND AND ARE BOTH HERE INTERRED LEAVINGE NICHS: L'ISLE THEIR BROTHER POSSESSER .... INHERITANCE OF WILBVROHAM L'ISLES IN THE COVNTY OF CAMBRIDGE WHO MARIED MARY ONE OF YE COHEIRES OF NICHS: BROKE BY IANE COHEIRE OF THOMAS ..." (rest difficult to read from the image) |
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Information on this page taken from a
history in the church. |
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