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All Saints Staplehurst Church History
Postcard of the Church taken in 1907
The Church is built on the top of the hill roughly in the centre of the village. It rises above the flat Weald which was once a dense forest. It is built on a layer of limestone, which breaks through the surface at this point on the hill together with fresh springs of water. Important dates1050 The south door is believed to date back to this time. It is Anglo-Saxon, but nobody is quite sure where it originated. It depicts half of a Norman story the other half of the Story is depicted on another door. 1100 Around this time All Saints Church in Staplehurst was built. It was built from local limestone. The north wall is believed to be Saxon. It is not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. At this time the Church had a chancel, nave and maybe a low south tower. The old font is still in use and probably dates from around this time. 1200 - 1250 Around this time the original building was enlarged. A longer nave and a south aisle were added. An arcade was built between these two and a chancel was built. The old north wall was buttressed. Our first recorded Rector arrived in the year 1245. 1300 The chancel was enlarged and new windows added. The Anchorite Cell was added to the north wall. 1547 At the time of the reformation, every image was taken out of the church. 1605 Our tower received a new bell. 1673 On 17th February the spire was blown down by a tremendous gust of wind. It has never been replaced. 1705 St. John's College of Cambridge bought the right to appoint the Rector of Staplehurst. This still applies till this day. Visit the Web Site of our Patrons Saint John's College Cambridge Kent Archaeology Web page for Staplehurst Churchyard Kent Archaeology Gallery Web page for Staplehurst Churchyard KFHS - Kent Family History Society Staplehurst Registers of Births, Marriages and Burials |
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