Holy Trinity, Sissinghurst, Kent
Sissinghurst is now best know as a horticultural desination for the fabulous gardens at the castle.
The village is less visited, and the church is small and easily missed.
It is mostly 19th century, though with 20th century reordering and some fine glass.
We found the glass the best part of the church, it is small and simple and we found it open.
Sissinghurst seemed to have been a chapel of ease of Tenterden, so not much parish history to tell.
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A (just) pre-ecclesiological church dating from 1838 to replace a small late-medieval place of worship known as `Milkhouse Street Chapel` in the parish of Cranbrook that had closed in the sixteenth century. Its nineteenth century founders were more or less told where to erect the new church. The architect was J Jennings of Hawkhurst and the church cost about £2,000. It was a simple rectangle for auditory worship. In 1893 a chancel was added to make it more acceptable to the ecclesiologists. In the 1990s further alterations were made to create a friendly and more convenient church. By the chancel steps is a medieval carved font reputed to have come from the old chapel, but by far the best furnishings are the stained glass windows. The 3 light East window is by Horace Wilkinson and depicts Archangels Michael and Gabriel. In the north wall is a pedestrian window depicting St Nicholas (1947) by J E Nuttgens - it being overshadowed in terms of dramatic effect by the easternmost window. This depicts St Cecilia, and is designed with lots of purple streaky glass by Leonard Walker (1877-1964).
Holy Trinity, Sissinghurst, Kent
Sissinghurst is now best know as a horticultural desination for the fabulous gardens at the castle.
The village is less visited, and the church is small and easily missed.
It is mostly 19th century, though with 20th century reordering and some fine glass.
We found the glass the best part of the church, it is small and simple and we found it open.
Sissinghurst seemed to have been a chapel of ease of Tenterden, so not much parish history to tell.
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A (just) pre-ecclesiological church dating from 1838 to replace a small late-medieval place of worship known as `Milkhouse Street Chapel` in the parish of Cranbrook that had closed in the sixteenth century. Its nineteenth century founders were more or less told where to erect the new church. The architect was J Jennings of Hawkhurst and the church cost about £2,000. It was a simple rectangle for auditory worship. In 1893 a chancel was added to make it more acceptable to the ecclesiologists. In the 1990s further alterations were made to create a friendly and more convenient church. By the chancel steps is a medieval carved font reputed to have come from the old chapel, but by far the best furnishings are the stained glass windows. The 3 light East window is by Horace Wilkinson and depicts Archangels Michael and Gabriel. In the north wall is a pedestrian window depicting St Nicholas (1947) by J E Nuttgens - it being overshadowed in terms of dramatic effect by the easternmost window. This depicts St Cecilia, and is designed with lots of purple streaky glass by Leonard Walker (1877-1964).