Fordwich, the Smallest Town in England

Hi folks, Sue the wife went to work in Canterbury yesterday so I took her to work and set off on a rather miserable day to find something in the area to photograph. I left Canterbury and proceeded on the Sturry Road until I found this village with a church and something special which I will tell you later.

I found St Mary's Church next to the Fordwich Arms, that's the place with the four chimneys on the right. The Church spire looked a bit wonky but it was next to the River Stour and suffered in the past from poor foundations. It closed for worship in 1995??

The river that caused the flooding and in the twelfth century which made the spire lean. The river had a great bearing in the town as I will explain later.

Looks like a fairly new pouch and outer doors.

On the wall outside was the "new " plaque put up by the Churches Conservation Trust.

Inside the porch was an older door with original looking beans above.

I opened this old door with it's lovely old knocker and entered.

I was greeted by this lovely Norman Church extended in the twelfth, thirteenth and fourteenth century's.

By the Pews was this old collecting box with St Mary the Virgin on it's side.

Box Pews adorned the church and were rented out to provide income.

Carving detail in the doors of the Pews.

This was called the Fordwich Stone and was thought to be part of the Nornan shrine of St Augustine and was first recorded in the church in Seventeen Sixty.

Above the chancel arch is the Royal Arms of 1688 and was ordered to be displayed  in all churches in the 17th century.

You may well ask the question, what all this doing in a small be it the" smallest town" in England?

All will be revealed later on and it will amaze you.

Keep looking at the blog, it's very interesting. Thanks for looking, Mike