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Nearly halfway through the month, and it's the weekend again, and the the good news is that the sore throat I had on Friday went and did not return.
Which is nice.
Jools's cough, however, which seemed like it was getting better, returned slightly on Friday evening, and would again on Saturday. We had tockets to see Public Service Bradcasting again, this time in Margate, but our hearts were not in it, if I'm honest, and in the end we decided not to go in light of her coughing, but also as I said, we saw them a month back, though this would be a different show.
And Norwich were on the tellybox, what could be better than watching that?
Anything, as it turned out.
But that was for later.
We went to Tesco, a little later than usual, as we had slept in rather, then back home for breakfast before the decision on what to do for the day. Jools decided to stay home to bead and read, I would go out.
There are three churches near to home that I feel I needed to revisit, St Margaret's itself I should be able to get the key from the village shop at any time, but St Mary in Dover hasn't been open the last few times I have been in town, and Barfrestone was closed most of the year due to vandalism.
But Saturday morning there is usually a coffee morning in St Mary, so I went down armed with camera and lenses to take more shots of the details, especially of the windows.
There was a small group with the Vicar, talking in one of the chapels, so I made busy getting my shots, just happy that the church was open. I left a fiver with the vicar, and walked back to the car, passing the old guy supping from a tin of cider sitting outside the church hall.
A quick drive through town, Buckland and up Crabble Hill past our old flat and onto Lydden before emerging onto the A2, doubling back to go through Coldred. Finding the road to Barfrestone from there would be easy, no?
No.
Roads started heading in the right direction, or signposts promising the bright lights of Barfrestone and leading nowhere near. Or quite near, I have no idea.
After passing through Elvington, I resorted to the sat nav, and take the left turn, it said, I was less than a mile away.
The micropub, The Wrong Turn has closed, sadly, I saw as I drove past, then turned left down to the middle of the village, and parked beside the old phone box.
Everyone has a favourite church, or every churchcrawlers, either by county or in their experience. I am now at about 370 Kent churches, and St Nicholas is my favourite, and the most interesting. There is none other like it in the county, or the south east of England.
A simple two cell church from the 12th century, with the lower halves of the walls of flint, but the upper parts of Caen stone, and mostly richly carved, or with window arches or blank ones. A line of grosteque heads line the corbel on the outside, and insode there is a decorated dado that has geometric pattern at one end, and a monkey smoking a pipe at the other.
On Saturday, I took 432 shots here, redoing many shots from previous visits, but with now a better camera and lenses.
St Nicholas was closed earlier this year due to vandalism, but it open again now, though parking is difficult, but should be one every churchcrawlers sees in their lifetime.
I see from Hasted that the dedication at the beginning of the 19th century was St Mary, but is St Nicholas now.
-------------------------------------------
A one-off church, Barfrestone is the south-east's answer to Herefordshire's Kilpeck, although perhaps with slightly less atmosphere. A complete two cell late Norman church, but so unlike all the others in Kent that one cannot really class it in the same group. Its lower walls are constructed of flint rubble, but its upper courses, and dressed stonework are all of imported Caen stone. This is a display of twelfth century wealth and it has usually been associated with the de Port family from Dover Castle. Kent has no local stone that can take fine carving, so the exuberance of detail here is unrivalled in the county. The south doorway is the most widely reproduced image, but the internal carving is of equal importance. Post-Reformation damage has been reconstructed, in some cases with a degree of artistic licence. The two blank arches to either side of the chancel arch were designed to take side altars - a feature relatively common in Kent, for example at Grain. There is some fine medieval graffiti to be seen on the dressed stonework at lower levels both inside and out. As there is no tower, the church bell is hung from a Yew tree. Nave and chancel only. The following is a link to a picture essay written by Julianna Lee, on the subject of Romanesque sculptures at Barfreston: www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/bestiary_arches.pdf.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barfreston
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BARSON.
THE next parish south-westward is Barson, alias Barfriston, which latter is its proper and antient name; being written in the survey of Domesday, Barfrestone, but for the sake of contraction it has been of late both called and written by the former name of Barson only. There is but one borough in this parish, viz. the borough of Barson, which contains the whole parish; the borsholder for which is chosen at the petty sessions, held for this division of the lath of St. Augustine.
BARSON lies on the open hilly downs, with which this neighbourhood much abounds; they are in like manner for the most part arable, the soil upon the hills is chalky and not over fertile; in the valleys it is inclined to clay, and of course better land, though still of a coarse nature. The court-lodge and church are nearly in the middle of the parish, which has in it, including the street, only twelve houses, and contains about 470 acres of land. This parish as well as its vicinity is exceedingly healthy, and has been already-noticed under Coldred. Instances of longevity here are very frequent and as remarkable, for in 1700 the minister resident in this parish was buried at the age of 96. The minister who preached the funeral sermon was 82. The reader of the service was 87. The parish clerk was the same age, but then absent. The sexton 86, and his wife about 80, and several of the neighbouring parish of Coldred, who attended at the funeral, were above 100 years old; and in the year 1722 there were in this small parish, which consisted only of fifty-eight souls, nine persons, whose ages made 636 years.
At the southern boundary of the parish are a great number of Roman tumuli, or barrows, which adjoin the lines of entrenchments at the end of Eythorne pa rish, all of which have already been noticed under Shebbertswell before, in which parish most of them lie. There is no fair.
There was in king Henry III.'s reign a family resident here, who took their name from it; one of whom, Amicia de Barfreston, was a benefactor to the priory of Davington, as appears by the ledger book of it.
AT THE TIME of taking the survey of Domesday, in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, this place was part of the possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the king's half-brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Estrea lath. In Estre hundred, Ralph de Curbespine holds of the bishop, one yoke in Barfrestone. There one very poor woman pays three pence and one farthing. This yoke is, and was worth separately ten shillings.
Rannulf de Colubels holds there one yoke, which has been scotted in Hardes and to this time is not scotted to the king's tax.
On the confiscation of the bishop's estates, which happened on his disgrace, about four years afterwards, this at Barfriston appears to be among the lands which were granted for the defence of Dover castle, to Hugh de Port, and with other lands, made up together the barony of Port, being held by barony of that castle, by the service of performing ward there, for the defence of it.
After which it was held of his descendant, John de St. John, in king Henry III.'s reign, by a family named Wyborne; one of whom, John de Wyborne, held it in king Edward II.'s reign; but before the 20th of king Edward III. this name was extinct here; for it appears then to have been alienated from them, and in the tenure of different persons; one of whom, John de Monynham, seems to have held that part of Wyborne's estate, which comprehended the manor of Batfriston, which after the heirs of Moningham had deserted their patrimony here, was alienated about the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign, to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, comptroller of the houshold, and in his descendants the property of it continued down to Sir Thomas Browne, of the same place, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of the 1st and 8th of Elizabeth; not long after the latter year of which he alienated it to Mr. Thomas Boys, of Eythorne, who afterwards removed hither, and dying possessed of it in 1599, was buried in this church. His eldest son Thomas, was of Hoad, and inherited this manor, which his eldest son John Boys, gent. of Hoad, sold at the latter end of king Charles the 1st.'s reign, to Anthony Percival, of Dover, comptroller of the customs there, who died in 1646, and lies buried at Denton, in whose heirs this manor continued, till it was at length sold to Major Richard Harvey, who was of Elmington, in Eythorne first, and afterwards of Danecourt; his grandson, Mr. Richard Harvey, gent was of Barson, and having pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, handsomely rebuilt it, and afterwards resided here. He married Elizabeth Nicholls, of Barham, by whom he has had seven sons and six daughters; of the former, Richard the eldest, now of Ramsgate, was vicar of St. Laurence, and is now of Eastry, and married Judith Matson, by whom he has a son Richard, now vicar of St. Laurence, who married Miss Wade, by whom he has one only son Richard. Henry the second son, is an admiral of the royal navy, and of Walmer, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Wm. Boys, esq. lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hospital, by whom he has had four sons and one daughter. John, the third son, was likewise a captain in the royal navy, and of Heronden, who died in July 1794, at Portsmouth, of the wounds he received in the glorious naval fight against the French, on June the 1st preceding, which prevented the king's intention of making him an admiral, as a reward for his gallant behaviour in it. He left four sons and four daughters; of the former, Henry Wife, esq. the eldest, is now of Heronden, and John is a captain in the navy. Of the daughters, Mary married Wm. Boteler, esq. now of Eastry, and Fanny married Robert Curling, surgeon, of Sandwich, Elizabeth died young, and Sarah. Of the younger sons of Mr. Richard Harvey, of Barson, by Elizabeth Nicholls, Thomas the fourth son is living, but s. p. and Samuel, the sixth son, is of Sandwich, brewer. Of the daughters, Frances, Margaret married to Thomas Freeman, clerk, rector of St. Martin's, and vicar of St. Paul's, in Canterbury; Elizabeth to William Wyborn Bradley, brewer, of Sandwich; and Sarah to John Tucker, clerk, late of Shinglewell, and rector of Gravesend and Luddenham, in this county. (fn. 1) But to return to Mr. Richard Harvey, who after residing here some time, at length in 1792 alienated this estate to John Plumptre, esq. of Fredville, the present owner of it. (fn. 2)
HARTANGER, written in Domesday, Hertange, is a small manor in this parish, which, at the time of taking that survey, was part of the possessions of the bishop of of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
Radulf, son of Robert, holds of the bishop Hertange. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is . . . . . In demesne there is one carucate, and five villeins, with two borderers, having two carucates. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth forty shillings, and afterwards ten shillings, now sixty shillings. Eddid held it of king Edward.
Four years after taking this survey, the bishop's estates, on his disgrace, were confiscated; upon which this manor of Hartangre came into the hands of the crown; whence it was afterwards granted to Simon Fitz-Adam, by whom it was held by knight's service, by barony, of Dover castle, by the service of ward for the space of fifteen days, for the defence of it.
Of Simon Fitz-Adam and his heir Adam Fitzwilliam, this manor was afterwards held by the Pirots. Alan Pirot died possessed of it at the latter end of king Henry I.'s reign, and was succeeded in it by Robert Pirot, whose heir was Ingelram de Fontibus; how long he and his heirs held it, I do not find; but at the latter end of king Henry III. or the beginning of king Edward I.'s reign, William de Hartanger held it. After him it became the estate of Robert de Hardres, as may be seen by the book of knight's fees, and he held it by knight's service of the honor of Clare. In the 8th year of the next reign of king Edward II. his next successor in it was Reginald de Tondresley; how long it continued in that name does not appear; but at the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign it was come into the possession of Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth-castle, whose descendant of the same name, in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, passed it away to Francis Santon, esq. whose son and heir Francis Santon alienated it soon afterwards to Edward Merriweather, second son of Edward, of Shebbertswell, who resided here, and dying possessed of it in 1621, anno 20 James I. was buried in this church, and in his descendants it continued, till at length about the middle of the last century, it was sold to Pot, and Mr. William Pot, citizen and apothecary, of London, gave it by his will in 1691, with other lands in this county, to trustees and their survivors, in trust, for them to pay two hundred pounds per annum, out of the rents and profits of them, to Christ's hospital, and the remaining produce of them to the hospital of Bethlem, in London; in which trust this manor continues vested at this time. (fn. 3)
It appears by the register of Ledes abbey, that Sibilla de Watemle gave to the priory of Ledes, in free and perpetual alms, inter alia, the tithe of Hartangre, which gift was confirmed by archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly or casually relieved are not more than one or two at most.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sandwich.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a small building of great antiquity; the outside is curiously adorned with carve-work in stone, with circular arches and windows, especially at the east end; the west end has a fine circular arch with Saxon ornaments and zig-zag border; and in the inside is another like arch between the body and chancel. This church, so well known to every lover of antiquity, of which so many engravings have been made, is a most curious specimen of Anglo Saxon architecture. It consists of a body and chancel, separated by a circular arch, supported by two elegant wreathed pillars; a row of singular uncouth heads are round the cornice; a beautiful circular window is at the east end; at the foot of the wall are two circular arches, forming recesses, probably for places of sepulture, and not improbably for the founders of the church. The grand south entrance, now partly hid by a modern porch, is most curiously sculptured with rows of figures of various kinds. Nitches for statues are all round the building. There is no steeple, a small wooden turret having been taken down a few years since. There is only one bell. In the chancel is a mural monument for Thomas Boys, gent. of Barfreston, of the family of Fredville, obt. 1599; arms, Or, a griffin segreant, sable, within a bordure, gules. Another mural monument for Robert Ewell, rector and patron, one of the six preachers of Canterbury cathedral, obt. 1638. A gravestone for George Smith, forty-one years rector of this parish, obt. 1752. Several of the Boy's were buried in this church. In the windows of it were formerly these arms, viz. Azure, two bendlets, argent, within a bordure, and the same arms without the bordure.
¶The advowson of this church, which is a rectory, was antiently appendant to the manor; but in the reign of king Henry VIII. it was become an advowson in gross, and was in the possession of John Boys, of Denton, attorney-general to the duchy of Lancaster, who held it by knight's service of the king, as of his castle of Dover. His son William Boys, esq. of Denton, sold this advowson to his kinsman Thomas Boys, of Aythorne, and in his descendants it continued down till the reign of king Charles I. when it was alienated to Ewell, from one of which name it was sold to Sir Basil Dixwell, who was possessed of it in 1640; since which it has become part of the possessions of the president and fellows of St. John's college, in Oxford, who are the present patrons of it.
This rectory is valued in the king's books at 7l. 14s. it is now a discharged living of the clear yearly value of about thirty pounds. In 1588 it was valued at sixty shillings, and here were communicants forty. In 1640 it was valued at fifty shillings, and here were the like number of communicants.
This rectory has been augmented by the governors of queen Anne's bounty with 200l. and a like sum added to it by the president and fellows of St. John's college, with which the house, barn, and appurtenances were new built, and a barn, stable and lands were purchased in the parish of Alkham, now of the annual rent of thirty pounds.
There is a glebe belonging to it of seven acres, of which one is in Nonington, but in the king's books there is said to be ten acres of glebe land.
Nearly halfway through the month, and it's the weekend again, and the the good news is that the sore throat I had on Friday went and did not return.
Which is nice.
Jools's cough, however, which seemed like it was getting better, returned slightly on Friday evening, and would again on Saturday. We had tockets to see Public Service Bradcasting again, this time in Margate, but our hearts were not in it, if I'm honest, and in the end we decided not to go in light of her coughing, but also as I said, we saw them a month back, though this would be a different show.
And Norwich were on the tellybox, what could be better than watching that?
Anything, as it turned out.
But that was for later.
We went to Tesco, a little later than usual, as we had slept in rather, then back home for breakfast before the decision on what to do for the day. Jools decided to stay home to bead and read, I would go out.
There are three churches near to home that I feel I needed to revisit, St Margaret's itself I should be able to get the key from the village shop at any time, but St Mary in Dover hasn't been open the last few times I have been in town, and Barfrestone was closed most of the year due to vandalism.
But Saturday morning there is usually a coffee morning in St Mary, so I went down armed with camera and lenses to take more shots of the details, especially of the windows.
There was a small group with the Vicar, talking in one of the chapels, so I made busy getting my shots, just happy that the church was open. I left a fiver with the vicar, and walked back to the car, passing the old guy supping from a tin of cider sitting outside the church hall.
A quick drive through town, Buckland and up Crabble Hill past our old flat and onto Lydden before emerging onto the A2, doubling back to go through Coldred. Finding the road to Barfrestone from there would be easy, no?
No.
Roads started heading in the right direction, or signposts promising the bright lights of Barfrestone and leading nowhere near. Or quite near, I have no idea.
After passing through Elvington, I resorted to the sat nav, and take the left turn, it said, I was less than a mile away.
The micropub, The Wrong Turn has closed, sadly, I saw as I drove past, then turned left down to the middle of the village, and parked beside the old phone box.
Everyone has a favourite church, or every churchcrawlers, either by county or in their experience. I am now at about 370 Kent churches, and St Nicholas is my favourite, and the most interesting. There is none other like it in the county, or the south east of England.
A simple two cell church from the 12th century, with the lower halves of the walls of flint, but the upper parts of Caen stone, and mostly richly carved, or with window arches or blank ones. A line of grosteque heads line the corbel on the outside, and insode there is a decorated dado that has geometric pattern at one end, and a monkey smoking a pipe at the other.
On Saturday, I took 432 shots here, redoing many shots from previous visits, but with now a better camera and lenses.
St Nicholas was closed earlier this year due to vandalism, but it open again now, though parking is difficult, but should be one every churchcrawlers sees in their lifetime.
I see from Hasted that the dedication at the beginning of the 19th century was St Mary, but is St Nicholas now.
-------------------------------------------
A one-off church, Barfrestone is the south-east's answer to Herefordshire's Kilpeck, although perhaps with slightly less atmosphere. A complete two cell late Norman church, but so unlike all the others in Kent that one cannot really class it in the same group. Its lower walls are constructed of flint rubble, but its upper courses, and dressed stonework are all of imported Caen stone. This is a display of twelfth century wealth and it has usually been associated with the de Port family from Dover Castle. Kent has no local stone that can take fine carving, so the exuberance of detail here is unrivalled in the county. The south doorway is the most widely reproduced image, but the internal carving is of equal importance. Post-Reformation damage has been reconstructed, in some cases with a degree of artistic licence. The two blank arches to either side of the chancel arch were designed to take side altars - a feature relatively common in Kent, for example at Grain. There is some fine medieval graffiti to be seen on the dressed stonework at lower levels both inside and out. As there is no tower, the church bell is hung from a Yew tree. Nave and chancel only. The following is a link to a picture essay written by Julianna Lee, on the subject of Romanesque sculptures at Barfreston: www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/bestiary_arches.pdf.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barfreston
-------------------------------------------
BARSON.
THE next parish south-westward is Barson, alias Barfriston, which latter is its proper and antient name; being written in the survey of Domesday, Barfrestone, but for the sake of contraction it has been of late both called and written by the former name of Barson only. There is but one borough in this parish, viz. the borough of Barson, which contains the whole parish; the borsholder for which is chosen at the petty sessions, held for this division of the lath of St. Augustine.
BARSON lies on the open hilly downs, with which this neighbourhood much abounds; they are in like manner for the most part arable, the soil upon the hills is chalky and not over fertile; in the valleys it is inclined to clay, and of course better land, though still of a coarse nature. The court-lodge and church are nearly in the middle of the parish, which has in it, including the street, only twelve houses, and contains about 470 acres of land. This parish as well as its vicinity is exceedingly healthy, and has been already-noticed under Coldred. Instances of longevity here are very frequent and as remarkable, for in 1700 the minister resident in this parish was buried at the age of 96. The minister who preached the funeral sermon was 82. The reader of the service was 87. The parish clerk was the same age, but then absent. The sexton 86, and his wife about 80, and several of the neighbouring parish of Coldred, who attended at the funeral, were above 100 years old; and in the year 1722 there were in this small parish, which consisted only of fifty-eight souls, nine persons, whose ages made 636 years.
At the southern boundary of the parish are a great number of Roman tumuli, or barrows, which adjoin the lines of entrenchments at the end of Eythorne pa rish, all of which have already been noticed under Shebbertswell before, in which parish most of them lie. There is no fair.
There was in king Henry III.'s reign a family resident here, who took their name from it; one of whom, Amicia de Barfreston, was a benefactor to the priory of Davington, as appears by the ledger book of it.
AT THE TIME of taking the survey of Domesday, in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, this place was part of the possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the king's half-brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Estrea lath. In Estre hundred, Ralph de Curbespine holds of the bishop, one yoke in Barfrestone. There one very poor woman pays three pence and one farthing. This yoke is, and was worth separately ten shillings.
Rannulf de Colubels holds there one yoke, which has been scotted in Hardes and to this time is not scotted to the king's tax.
On the confiscation of the bishop's estates, which happened on his disgrace, about four years afterwards, this at Barfriston appears to be among the lands which were granted for the defence of Dover castle, to Hugh de Port, and with other lands, made up together the barony of Port, being held by barony of that castle, by the service of performing ward there, for the defence of it.
After which it was held of his descendant, John de St. John, in king Henry III.'s reign, by a family named Wyborne; one of whom, John de Wyborne, held it in king Edward II.'s reign; but before the 20th of king Edward III. this name was extinct here; for it appears then to have been alienated from them, and in the tenure of different persons; one of whom, John de Monynham, seems to have held that part of Wyborne's estate, which comprehended the manor of Batfriston, which after the heirs of Moningham had deserted their patrimony here, was alienated about the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign, to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, comptroller of the houshold, and in his descendants the property of it continued down to Sir Thomas Browne, of the same place, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of the 1st and 8th of Elizabeth; not long after the latter year of which he alienated it to Mr. Thomas Boys, of Eythorne, who afterwards removed hither, and dying possessed of it in 1599, was buried in this church. His eldest son Thomas, was of Hoad, and inherited this manor, which his eldest son John Boys, gent. of Hoad, sold at the latter end of king Charles the 1st.'s reign, to Anthony Percival, of Dover, comptroller of the customs there, who died in 1646, and lies buried at Denton, in whose heirs this manor continued, till it was at length sold to Major Richard Harvey, who was of Elmington, in Eythorne first, and afterwards of Danecourt; his grandson, Mr. Richard Harvey, gent was of Barson, and having pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, handsomely rebuilt it, and afterwards resided here. He married Elizabeth Nicholls, of Barham, by whom he has had seven sons and six daughters; of the former, Richard the eldest, now of Ramsgate, was vicar of St. Laurence, and is now of Eastry, and married Judith Matson, by whom he has a son Richard, now vicar of St. Laurence, who married Miss Wade, by whom he has one only son Richard. Henry the second son, is an admiral of the royal navy, and of Walmer, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Wm. Boys, esq. lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hospital, by whom he has had four sons and one daughter. John, the third son, was likewise a captain in the royal navy, and of Heronden, who died in July 1794, at Portsmouth, of the wounds he received in the glorious naval fight against the French, on June the 1st preceding, which prevented the king's intention of making him an admiral, as a reward for his gallant behaviour in it. He left four sons and four daughters; of the former, Henry Wife, esq. the eldest, is now of Heronden, and John is a captain in the navy. Of the daughters, Mary married Wm. Boteler, esq. now of Eastry, and Fanny married Robert Curling, surgeon, of Sandwich, Elizabeth died young, and Sarah. Of the younger sons of Mr. Richard Harvey, of Barson, by Elizabeth Nicholls, Thomas the fourth son is living, but s. p. and Samuel, the sixth son, is of Sandwich, brewer. Of the daughters, Frances, Margaret married to Thomas Freeman, clerk, rector of St. Martin's, and vicar of St. Paul's, in Canterbury; Elizabeth to William Wyborn Bradley, brewer, of Sandwich; and Sarah to John Tucker, clerk, late of Shinglewell, and rector of Gravesend and Luddenham, in this county. (fn. 1) But to return to Mr. Richard Harvey, who after residing here some time, at length in 1792 alienated this estate to John Plumptre, esq. of Fredville, the present owner of it. (fn. 2)
HARTANGER, written in Domesday, Hertange, is a small manor in this parish, which, at the time of taking that survey, was part of the possessions of the bishop of of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
Radulf, son of Robert, holds of the bishop Hertange. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is . . . . . In demesne there is one carucate, and five villeins, with two borderers, having two carucates. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth forty shillings, and afterwards ten shillings, now sixty shillings. Eddid held it of king Edward.
Four years after taking this survey, the bishop's estates, on his disgrace, were confiscated; upon which this manor of Hartangre came into the hands of the crown; whence it was afterwards granted to Simon Fitz-Adam, by whom it was held by knight's service, by barony, of Dover castle, by the service of ward for the space of fifteen days, for the defence of it.
Of Simon Fitz-Adam and his heir Adam Fitzwilliam, this manor was afterwards held by the Pirots. Alan Pirot died possessed of it at the latter end of king Henry I.'s reign, and was succeeded in it by Robert Pirot, whose heir was Ingelram de Fontibus; how long he and his heirs held it, I do not find; but at the latter end of king Henry III. or the beginning of king Edward I.'s reign, William de Hartanger held it. After him it became the estate of Robert de Hardres, as may be seen by the book of knight's fees, and he held it by knight's service of the honor of Clare. In the 8th year of the next reign of king Edward II. his next successor in it was Reginald de Tondresley; how long it continued in that name does not appear; but at the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign it was come into the possession of Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth-castle, whose descendant of the same name, in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, passed it away to Francis Santon, esq. whose son and heir Francis Santon alienated it soon afterwards to Edward Merriweather, second son of Edward, of Shebbertswell, who resided here, and dying possessed of it in 1621, anno 20 James I. was buried in this church, and in his descendants it continued, till at length about the middle of the last century, it was sold to Pot, and Mr. William Pot, citizen and apothecary, of London, gave it by his will in 1691, with other lands in this county, to trustees and their survivors, in trust, for them to pay two hundred pounds per annum, out of the rents and profits of them, to Christ's hospital, and the remaining produce of them to the hospital of Bethlem, in London; in which trust this manor continues vested at this time. (fn. 3)
It appears by the register of Ledes abbey, that Sibilla de Watemle gave to the priory of Ledes, in free and perpetual alms, inter alia, the tithe of Hartangre, which gift was confirmed by archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly or casually relieved are not more than one or two at most.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sandwich.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a small building of great antiquity; the outside is curiously adorned with carve-work in stone, with circular arches and windows, especially at the east end; the west end has a fine circular arch with Saxon ornaments and zig-zag border; and in the inside is another like arch between the body and chancel. This church, so well known to every lover of antiquity, of which so many engravings have been made, is a most curious specimen of Anglo Saxon architecture. It consists of a body and chancel, separated by a circular arch, supported by two elegant wreathed pillars; a row of singular uncouth heads are round the cornice; a beautiful circular window is at the east end; at the foot of the wall are two circular arches, forming recesses, probably for places of sepulture, and not improbably for the founders of the church. The grand south entrance, now partly hid by a modern porch, is most curiously sculptured with rows of figures of various kinds. Nitches for statues are all round the building. There is no steeple, a small wooden turret having been taken down a few years since. There is only one bell. In the chancel is a mural monument for Thomas Boys, gent. of Barfreston, of the family of Fredville, obt. 1599; arms, Or, a griffin segreant, sable, within a bordure, gules. Another mural monument for Robert Ewell, rector and patron, one of the six preachers of Canterbury cathedral, obt. 1638. A gravestone for George Smith, forty-one years rector of this parish, obt. 1752. Several of the Boy's were buried in this church. In the windows of it were formerly these arms, viz. Azure, two bendlets, argent, within a bordure, and the same arms without the bordure.
¶The advowson of this church, which is a rectory, was antiently appendant to the manor; but in the reign of king Henry VIII. it was become an advowson in gross, and was in the possession of John Boys, of Denton, attorney-general to the duchy of Lancaster, who held it by knight's service of the king, as of his castle of Dover. His son William Boys, esq. of Denton, sold this advowson to his kinsman Thomas Boys, of Aythorne, and in his descendants it continued down till the reign of king Charles I. when it was alienated to Ewell, from one of which name it was sold to Sir Basil Dixwell, who was possessed of it in 1640; since which it has become part of the possessions of the president and fellows of St. John's college, in Oxford, who are the present patrons of it.
This rectory is valued in the king's books at 7l. 14s. it is now a discharged living of the clear yearly value of about thirty pounds. In 1588 it was valued at sixty shillings, and here were communicants forty. In 1640 it was valued at fifty shillings, and here were the like number of communicants.
This rectory has been augmented by the governors of queen Anne's bounty with 200l. and a like sum added to it by the president and fellows of St. John's college, with which the house, barn, and appurtenances were new built, and a barn, stable and lands were purchased in the parish of Alkham, now of the annual rent of thirty pounds.
There is a glebe belonging to it of seven acres, of which one is in Nonington, but in the king's books there is said to be ten acres of glebe land.
Nearly halfway through the month, and it's the weekend again, and the the good news is that the sore throat I had on Friday went and did not return.
Which is nice.
Jools's cough, however, which seemed like it was getting better, returned slightly on Friday evening, and would again on Saturday. We had tockets to see Public Service Bradcasting again, this time in Margate, but our hearts were not in it, if I'm honest, and in the end we decided not to go in light of her coughing, but also as I said, we saw them a month back, though this would be a different show.
And Norwich were on the tellybox, what could be better than watching that?
Anything, as it turned out.
But that was for later.
We went to Tesco, a little later than usual, as we had slept in rather, then back home for breakfast before the decision on what to do for the day. Jools decided to stay home to bead and read, I would go out.
There are three churches near to home that I feel I needed to revisit, St Margaret's itself I should be able to get the key from the village shop at any time, but St Mary in Dover hasn't been open the last few times I have been in town, and Barfrestone was closed most of the year due to vandalism.
But Saturday morning there is usually a coffee morning in St Mary, so I went down armed with camera and lenses to take more shots of the details, especially of the windows.
There was a small group with the Vicar, talking in one of the chapels, so I made busy getting my shots, just happy that the church was open. I left a fiver with the vicar, and walked back to the car, passing the old guy supping from a tin of cider sitting outside the church hall.
A quick drive through town, Buckland and up Crabble Hill past our old flat and onto Lydden before emerging onto the A2, doubling back to go through Coldred. Finding the road to Barfrestone from there would be easy, no?
No.
Roads started heading in the right direction, or signposts promising the bright lights of Barfrestone and leading nowhere near. Or quite near, I have no idea.
After passing through Elvington, I resorted to the sat nav, and take the left turn, it said, I was less than a mile away.
The micropub, The Wrong Turn has closed, sadly, I saw as I drove past, then turned left down to the middle of the village, and parked beside the old phone box.
Everyone has a favourite church, or every churchcrawlers, either by county or in their experience. I am now at about 370 Kent churches, and St Nicholas is my favourite, and the most interesting. There is none other like it in the county, or the south east of England.
A simple two cell church from the 12th century, with the lower halves of the walls of flint, but the upper parts of Caen stone, and mostly richly carved, or with window arches or blank ones. A line of grosteque heads line the corbel on the outside, and insode there is a decorated dado that has geometric pattern at one end, and a monkey smoking a pipe at the other.
On Saturday, I took 432 shots here, redoing many shots from previous visits, but with now a better camera and lenses.
St Nicholas was closed earlier this year due to vandalism, but it open again now, though parking is difficult, but should be one every churchcrawlers sees in their lifetime.
I see from Hasted that the dedication at the beginning of the 19th century was St Mary, but is St Nicholas now.
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A one-off church, Barfrestone is the south-east's answer to Herefordshire's Kilpeck, although perhaps with slightly less atmosphere. A complete two cell late Norman church, but so unlike all the others in Kent that one cannot really class it in the same group. Its lower walls are constructed of flint rubble, but its upper courses, and dressed stonework are all of imported Caen stone. This is a display of twelfth century wealth and it has usually been associated with the de Port family from Dover Castle. Kent has no local stone that can take fine carving, so the exuberance of detail here is unrivalled in the county. The south doorway is the most widely reproduced image, but the internal carving is of equal importance. Post-Reformation damage has been reconstructed, in some cases with a degree of artistic licence. The two blank arches to either side of the chancel arch were designed to take side altars - a feature relatively common in Kent, for example at Grain. There is some fine medieval graffiti to be seen on the dressed stonework at lower levels both inside and out. As there is no tower, the church bell is hung from a Yew tree. Nave and chancel only. The following is a link to a picture essay written by Julianna Lee, on the subject of Romanesque sculptures at Barfreston: www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/bestiary_arches.pdf.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barfreston
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BARSON.
THE next parish south-westward is Barson, alias Barfriston, which latter is its proper and antient name; being written in the survey of Domesday, Barfrestone, but for the sake of contraction it has been of late both called and written by the former name of Barson only. There is but one borough in this parish, viz. the borough of Barson, which contains the whole parish; the borsholder for which is chosen at the petty sessions, held for this division of the lath of St. Augustine.
BARSON lies on the open hilly downs, with which this neighbourhood much abounds; they are in like manner for the most part arable, the soil upon the hills is chalky and not over fertile; in the valleys it is inclined to clay, and of course better land, though still of a coarse nature. The court-lodge and church are nearly in the middle of the parish, which has in it, including the street, only twelve houses, and contains about 470 acres of land. This parish as well as its vicinity is exceedingly healthy, and has been already-noticed under Coldred. Instances of longevity here are very frequent and as remarkable, for in 1700 the minister resident in this parish was buried at the age of 96. The minister who preached the funeral sermon was 82. The reader of the service was 87. The parish clerk was the same age, but then absent. The sexton 86, and his wife about 80, and several of the neighbouring parish of Coldred, who attended at the funeral, were above 100 years old; and in the year 1722 there were in this small parish, which consisted only of fifty-eight souls, nine persons, whose ages made 636 years.
At the southern boundary of the parish are a great number of Roman tumuli, or barrows, which adjoin the lines of entrenchments at the end of Eythorne pa rish, all of which have already been noticed under Shebbertswell before, in which parish most of them lie. There is no fair.
There was in king Henry III.'s reign a family resident here, who took their name from it; one of whom, Amicia de Barfreston, was a benefactor to the priory of Davington, as appears by the ledger book of it.
AT THE TIME of taking the survey of Domesday, in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, this place was part of the possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the king's half-brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Estrea lath. In Estre hundred, Ralph de Curbespine holds of the bishop, one yoke in Barfrestone. There one very poor woman pays three pence and one farthing. This yoke is, and was worth separately ten shillings.
Rannulf de Colubels holds there one yoke, which has been scotted in Hardes and to this time is not scotted to the king's tax.
On the confiscation of the bishop's estates, which happened on his disgrace, about four years afterwards, this at Barfriston appears to be among the lands which were granted for the defence of Dover castle, to Hugh de Port, and with other lands, made up together the barony of Port, being held by barony of that castle, by the service of performing ward there, for the defence of it.
After which it was held of his descendant, John de St. John, in king Henry III.'s reign, by a family named Wyborne; one of whom, John de Wyborne, held it in king Edward II.'s reign; but before the 20th of king Edward III. this name was extinct here; for it appears then to have been alienated from them, and in the tenure of different persons; one of whom, John de Monynham, seems to have held that part of Wyborne's estate, which comprehended the manor of Batfriston, which after the heirs of Moningham had deserted their patrimony here, was alienated about the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign, to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, comptroller of the houshold, and in his descendants the property of it continued down to Sir Thomas Browne, of the same place, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of the 1st and 8th of Elizabeth; not long after the latter year of which he alienated it to Mr. Thomas Boys, of Eythorne, who afterwards removed hither, and dying possessed of it in 1599, was buried in this church. His eldest son Thomas, was of Hoad, and inherited this manor, which his eldest son John Boys, gent. of Hoad, sold at the latter end of king Charles the 1st.'s reign, to Anthony Percival, of Dover, comptroller of the customs there, who died in 1646, and lies buried at Denton, in whose heirs this manor continued, till it was at length sold to Major Richard Harvey, who was of Elmington, in Eythorne first, and afterwards of Danecourt; his grandson, Mr. Richard Harvey, gent was of Barson, and having pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, handsomely rebuilt it, and afterwards resided here. He married Elizabeth Nicholls, of Barham, by whom he has had seven sons and six daughters; of the former, Richard the eldest, now of Ramsgate, was vicar of St. Laurence, and is now of Eastry, and married Judith Matson, by whom he has a son Richard, now vicar of St. Laurence, who married Miss Wade, by whom he has one only son Richard. Henry the second son, is an admiral of the royal navy, and of Walmer, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Wm. Boys, esq. lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hospital, by whom he has had four sons and one daughter. John, the third son, was likewise a captain in the royal navy, and of Heronden, who died in July 1794, at Portsmouth, of the wounds he received in the glorious naval fight against the French, on June the 1st preceding, which prevented the king's intention of making him an admiral, as a reward for his gallant behaviour in it. He left four sons and four daughters; of the former, Henry Wife, esq. the eldest, is now of Heronden, and John is a captain in the navy. Of the daughters, Mary married Wm. Boteler, esq. now of Eastry, and Fanny married Robert Curling, surgeon, of Sandwich, Elizabeth died young, and Sarah. Of the younger sons of Mr. Richard Harvey, of Barson, by Elizabeth Nicholls, Thomas the fourth son is living, but s. p. and Samuel, the sixth son, is of Sandwich, brewer. Of the daughters, Frances, Margaret married to Thomas Freeman, clerk, rector of St. Martin's, and vicar of St. Paul's, in Canterbury; Elizabeth to William Wyborn Bradley, brewer, of Sandwich; and Sarah to John Tucker, clerk, late of Shinglewell, and rector of Gravesend and Luddenham, in this county. (fn. 1) But to return to Mr. Richard Harvey, who after residing here some time, at length in 1792 alienated this estate to John Plumptre, esq. of Fredville, the present owner of it. (fn. 2)
HARTANGER, written in Domesday, Hertange, is a small manor in this parish, which, at the time of taking that survey, was part of the possessions of the bishop of of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
Radulf, son of Robert, holds of the bishop Hertange. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is . . . . . In demesne there is one carucate, and five villeins, with two borderers, having two carucates. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth forty shillings, and afterwards ten shillings, now sixty shillings. Eddid held it of king Edward.
Four years after taking this survey, the bishop's estates, on his disgrace, were confiscated; upon which this manor of Hartangre came into the hands of the crown; whence it was afterwards granted to Simon Fitz-Adam, by whom it was held by knight's service, by barony, of Dover castle, by the service of ward for the space of fifteen days, for the defence of it.
Of Simon Fitz-Adam and his heir Adam Fitzwilliam, this manor was afterwards held by the Pirots. Alan Pirot died possessed of it at the latter end of king Henry I.'s reign, and was succeeded in it by Robert Pirot, whose heir was Ingelram de Fontibus; how long he and his heirs held it, I do not find; but at the latter end of king Henry III. or the beginning of king Edward I.'s reign, William de Hartanger held it. After him it became the estate of Robert de Hardres, as may be seen by the book of knight's fees, and he held it by knight's service of the honor of Clare. In the 8th year of the next reign of king Edward II. his next successor in it was Reginald de Tondresley; how long it continued in that name does not appear; but at the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign it was come into the possession of Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth-castle, whose descendant of the same name, in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, passed it away to Francis Santon, esq. whose son and heir Francis Santon alienated it soon afterwards to Edward Merriweather, second son of Edward, of Shebbertswell, who resided here, and dying possessed of it in 1621, anno 20 James I. was buried in this church, and in his descendants it continued, till at length about the middle of the last century, it was sold to Pot, and Mr. William Pot, citizen and apothecary, of London, gave it by his will in 1691, with other lands in this county, to trustees and their survivors, in trust, for them to pay two hundred pounds per annum, out of the rents and profits of them, to Christ's hospital, and the remaining produce of them to the hospital of Bethlem, in London; in which trust this manor continues vested at this time. (fn. 3)
It appears by the register of Ledes abbey, that Sibilla de Watemle gave to the priory of Ledes, in free and perpetual alms, inter alia, the tithe of Hartangre, which gift was confirmed by archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly or casually relieved are not more than one or two at most.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sandwich.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a small building of great antiquity; the outside is curiously adorned with carve-work in stone, with circular arches and windows, especially at the east end; the west end has a fine circular arch with Saxon ornaments and zig-zag border; and in the inside is another like arch between the body and chancel. This church, so well known to every lover of antiquity, of which so many engravings have been made, is a most curious specimen of Anglo Saxon architecture. It consists of a body and chancel, separated by a circular arch, supported by two elegant wreathed pillars; a row of singular uncouth heads are round the cornice; a beautiful circular window is at the east end; at the foot of the wall are two circular arches, forming recesses, probably for places of sepulture, and not improbably for the founders of the church. The grand south entrance, now partly hid by a modern porch, is most curiously sculptured with rows of figures of various kinds. Nitches for statues are all round the building. There is no steeple, a small wooden turret having been taken down a few years since. There is only one bell. In the chancel is a mural monument for Thomas Boys, gent. of Barfreston, of the family of Fredville, obt. 1599; arms, Or, a griffin segreant, sable, within a bordure, gules. Another mural monument for Robert Ewell, rector and patron, one of the six preachers of Canterbury cathedral, obt. 1638. A gravestone for George Smith, forty-one years rector of this parish, obt. 1752. Several of the Boy's were buried in this church. In the windows of it were formerly these arms, viz. Azure, two bendlets, argent, within a bordure, and the same arms without the bordure.
¶The advowson of this church, which is a rectory, was antiently appendant to the manor; but in the reign of king Henry VIII. it was become an advowson in gross, and was in the possession of John Boys, of Denton, attorney-general to the duchy of Lancaster, who held it by knight's service of the king, as of his castle of Dover. His son William Boys, esq. of Denton, sold this advowson to his kinsman Thomas Boys, of Aythorne, and in his descendants it continued down till the reign of king Charles I. when it was alienated to Ewell, from one of which name it was sold to Sir Basil Dixwell, who was possessed of it in 1640; since which it has become part of the possessions of the president and fellows of St. John's college, in Oxford, who are the present patrons of it.
This rectory is valued in the king's books at 7l. 14s. it is now a discharged living of the clear yearly value of about thirty pounds. In 1588 it was valued at sixty shillings, and here were communicants forty. In 1640 it was valued at fifty shillings, and here were the like number of communicants.
This rectory has been augmented by the governors of queen Anne's bounty with 200l. and a like sum added to it by the president and fellows of St. John's college, with which the house, barn, and appurtenances were new built, and a barn, stable and lands were purchased in the parish of Alkham, now of the annual rent of thirty pounds.
There is a glebe belonging to it of seven acres, of which one is in Nonington, but in the king's books there is said to be ten acres of glebe land.
Staying Home Covid-19 is here and we all have to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus. We photographers are reduced to taking pictures in the house, so here are a few things of interest.
Barriers to the nasty virus. Keep the respiratory droplets from flying around when near others, keep hands clear of germ pickup from outside surfaces, and wash, wash, wash those hands to prevent the bugs coming anywhere near your mouth, nose or eyes.
Others are venturing out, some kids are going back to school on Monday, but I am in the vulnerable group, with underlying health issues (what a ghastly term) so have to stay isolated to prevent the rest of you infecting me.
I am following my instincts and staying home, although Barnard Castle is not too far away.
Photographic Information
Taken on 27th May, 2020 at 1135hrs with a Canon EOS 650D digital still camera, through a Canon EF-S 18-55mm (29-88mm in 35mm terms) Æ’/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5.
© Timothy Pickford-Jones 2020
Yes, I'm a little obsessed with sewing right now. I actually stayed home on a Friday night just to finish this sweater I've been working on.
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
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Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
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LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
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Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
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LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
Staying Home Covid-19 is here and we all have to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus. We photographers are reduced to taking pictures in the house, so here are a few things of interest.
Some Knobs Here is a section of a sound mixing desk I obtained from Central Television (remember when that was a thing?) when they were refitting their Birmingham studios. Central was swallowed up by Carlton in 1995, which was in turn taken over by ITV plc.
Photographic Information
Taken on 1st April,2020 at 1325hrs with a Canon EOS 650Ddigital still camera, through a Canon EF-S 18-55mm (29-88mm in 35mm terms) Æ’/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, with a Powerextra DF-400 bounce flash on 1/16th power, post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5.
© Tim Pickford-Jones 2020
Staying Home Covid-19 is here and we all have to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus. We photographers are reduced to taking pictures in the house, so here are a few things of interest.
Wealth No panic buying here at Hippie Towers, just reasonable stocks, all from before the beginning of lockdown.
Second in the short series, Still Life with Beach Towel.
Photographic Information
Taken on 23rd April, 2020 at 1211hrs with a Canon EOS 650D digital still camera, through a Canon EF-S 18-55mm (29-88mm in 35mm terms) Æ’/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, illuminated with two studio flashlights, post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5..
© Tim Pickford-Jones 2020
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
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Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
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LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
Nearly halfway through the month, and it's the weekend again, and the the good news is that the sore throat I had on Friday went and did not return.
Which is nice.
Jools's cough, however, which seemed like it was getting better, returned slightly on Friday evening, and would again on Saturday. We had tockets to see Public Service Bradcasting again, this time in Margate, but our hearts were not in it, if I'm honest, and in the end we decided not to go in light of her coughing, but also as I said, we saw them a month back, though this would be a different show.
And Norwich were on the tellybox, what could be better than watching that?
Anything, as it turned out.
But that was for later.
We went to Tesco, a little later than usual, as we had slept in rather, then back home for breakfast before the decision on what to do for the day. Jools decided to stay home to bead and read, I would go out.
There are three churches near to home that I feel I needed to revisit, St Margaret's itself I should be able to get the key from the village shop at any time, but St Mary in Dover hasn't been open the last few times I have been in town, and Barfrestone was closed most of the year due to vandalism.
But Saturday morning there is usually a coffee morning in St Mary, so I went down armed with camera and lenses to take more shots of the details, especially of the windows.
There was a small group with the Vicar, talking in one of the chapels, so I made busy getting my shots, just happy that the church was open. I left a fiver with the vicar, and walked back to the car, passing the old guy supping from a tin of cider sitting outside the church hall.
A quick drive through town, Buckland and up Crabble Hill past our old flat and onto Lydden before emerging onto the A2, doubling back to go through Coldred. Finding the road to Barfrestone from there would be easy, no?
No.
Roads started heading in the right direction, or signposts promising the bright lights of Barfrestone and leading nowhere near. Or quite near, I have no idea.
After passing through Elvington, I resorted to the sat nav, and take the left turn, it said, I was less than a mile away.
The micropub, The Wrong Turn has closed, sadly, I saw as I drove past, then turned left down to the middle of the village, and parked beside the old phone box.
Everyone has a favourite church, or every churchcrawlers, either by county or in their experience. I am now at about 370 Kent churches, and St Nicholas is my favourite, and the most interesting. There is none other like it in the county, or the south east of England.
A simple two cell church from the 12th century, with the lower halves of the walls of flint, but the upper parts of Caen stone, and mostly richly carved, or with window arches or blank ones. A line of grosteque heads line the corbel on the outside, and insode there is a decorated dado that has geometric pattern at one end, and a monkey smoking a pipe at the other.
On Saturday, I took 432 shots here, redoing many shots from previous visits, but with now a better camera and lenses.
St Nicholas was closed earlier this year due to vandalism, but it open again now, though parking is difficult, but should be one every churchcrawlers sees in their lifetime.
I see from Hasted that the dedication at the beginning of the 19th century was St Mary, but is St Nicholas now.
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A one-off church, Barfrestone is the south-east's answer to Herefordshire's Kilpeck, although perhaps with slightly less atmosphere. A complete two cell late Norman church, but so unlike all the others in Kent that one cannot really class it in the same group. Its lower walls are constructed of flint rubble, but its upper courses, and dressed stonework are all of imported Caen stone. This is a display of twelfth century wealth and it has usually been associated with the de Port family from Dover Castle. Kent has no local stone that can take fine carving, so the exuberance of detail here is unrivalled in the county. The south doorway is the most widely reproduced image, but the internal carving is of equal importance. Post-Reformation damage has been reconstructed, in some cases with a degree of artistic licence. The two blank arches to either side of the chancel arch were designed to take side altars - a feature relatively common in Kent, for example at Grain. There is some fine medieval graffiti to be seen on the dressed stonework at lower levels both inside and out. As there is no tower, the church bell is hung from a Yew tree. Nave and chancel only. The following is a link to a picture essay written by Julianna Lee, on the subject of Romanesque sculptures at Barfreston: www.green-man-of-cercles.org/articles/bestiary_arches.pdf.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Barfreston
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BARSON.
THE next parish south-westward is Barson, alias Barfriston, which latter is its proper and antient name; being written in the survey of Domesday, Barfrestone, but for the sake of contraction it has been of late both called and written by the former name of Barson only. There is but one borough in this parish, viz. the borough of Barson, which contains the whole parish; the borsholder for which is chosen at the petty sessions, held for this division of the lath of St. Augustine.
BARSON lies on the open hilly downs, with which this neighbourhood much abounds; they are in like manner for the most part arable, the soil upon the hills is chalky and not over fertile; in the valleys it is inclined to clay, and of course better land, though still of a coarse nature. The court-lodge and church are nearly in the middle of the parish, which has in it, including the street, only twelve houses, and contains about 470 acres of land. This parish as well as its vicinity is exceedingly healthy, and has been already-noticed under Coldred. Instances of longevity here are very frequent and as remarkable, for in 1700 the minister resident in this parish was buried at the age of 96. The minister who preached the funeral sermon was 82. The reader of the service was 87. The parish clerk was the same age, but then absent. The sexton 86, and his wife about 80, and several of the neighbouring parish of Coldred, who attended at the funeral, were above 100 years old; and in the year 1722 there were in this small parish, which consisted only of fifty-eight souls, nine persons, whose ages made 636 years.
At the southern boundary of the parish are a great number of Roman tumuli, or barrows, which adjoin the lines of entrenchments at the end of Eythorne pa rish, all of which have already been noticed under Shebbertswell before, in which parish most of them lie. There is no fair.
There was in king Henry III.'s reign a family resident here, who took their name from it; one of whom, Amicia de Barfreston, was a benefactor to the priory of Davington, as appears by the ledger book of it.
AT THE TIME of taking the survey of Domesday, in the 15th year of the Conqueror's reign, this place was part of the possessions of Odo, the great bishop of Baieux, the king's half-brother, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
In Estrea lath. In Estre hundred, Ralph de Curbespine holds of the bishop, one yoke in Barfrestone. There one very poor woman pays three pence and one farthing. This yoke is, and was worth separately ten shillings.
Rannulf de Colubels holds there one yoke, which has been scotted in Hardes and to this time is not scotted to the king's tax.
On the confiscation of the bishop's estates, which happened on his disgrace, about four years afterwards, this at Barfriston appears to be among the lands which were granted for the defence of Dover castle, to Hugh de Port, and with other lands, made up together the barony of Port, being held by barony of that castle, by the service of performing ward there, for the defence of it.
After which it was held of his descendant, John de St. John, in king Henry III.'s reign, by a family named Wyborne; one of whom, John de Wyborne, held it in king Edward II.'s reign; but before the 20th of king Edward III. this name was extinct here; for it appears then to have been alienated from them, and in the tenure of different persons; one of whom, John de Monynham, seems to have held that part of Wyborne's estate, which comprehended the manor of Batfriston, which after the heirs of Moningham had deserted their patrimony here, was alienated about the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign, to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, comptroller of the houshold, and in his descendants the property of it continued down to Sir Thomas Browne, of the same place, whose lands were disgavelled by the acts of the 1st and 8th of Elizabeth; not long after the latter year of which he alienated it to Mr. Thomas Boys, of Eythorne, who afterwards removed hither, and dying possessed of it in 1599, was buried in this church. His eldest son Thomas, was of Hoad, and inherited this manor, which his eldest son John Boys, gent. of Hoad, sold at the latter end of king Charles the 1st.'s reign, to Anthony Percival, of Dover, comptroller of the customs there, who died in 1646, and lies buried at Denton, in whose heirs this manor continued, till it was at length sold to Major Richard Harvey, who was of Elmington, in Eythorne first, and afterwards of Danecourt; his grandson, Mr. Richard Harvey, gent was of Barson, and having pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, handsomely rebuilt it, and afterwards resided here. He married Elizabeth Nicholls, of Barham, by whom he has had seven sons and six daughters; of the former, Richard the eldest, now of Ramsgate, was vicar of St. Laurence, and is now of Eastry, and married Judith Matson, by whom he has a son Richard, now vicar of St. Laurence, who married Miss Wade, by whom he has one only son Richard. Henry the second son, is an admiral of the royal navy, and of Walmer, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Wm. Boys, esq. lieutenant-governor of Greenwich hospital, by whom he has had four sons and one daughter. John, the third son, was likewise a captain in the royal navy, and of Heronden, who died in July 1794, at Portsmouth, of the wounds he received in the glorious naval fight against the French, on June the 1st preceding, which prevented the king's intention of making him an admiral, as a reward for his gallant behaviour in it. He left four sons and four daughters; of the former, Henry Wife, esq. the eldest, is now of Heronden, and John is a captain in the navy. Of the daughters, Mary married Wm. Boteler, esq. now of Eastry, and Fanny married Robert Curling, surgeon, of Sandwich, Elizabeth died young, and Sarah. Of the younger sons of Mr. Richard Harvey, of Barson, by Elizabeth Nicholls, Thomas the fourth son is living, but s. p. and Samuel, the sixth son, is of Sandwich, brewer. Of the daughters, Frances, Margaret married to Thomas Freeman, clerk, rector of St. Martin's, and vicar of St. Paul's, in Canterbury; Elizabeth to William Wyborn Bradley, brewer, of Sandwich; and Sarah to John Tucker, clerk, late of Shinglewell, and rector of Gravesend and Luddenham, in this county. (fn. 1) But to return to Mr. Richard Harvey, who after residing here some time, at length in 1792 alienated this estate to John Plumptre, esq. of Fredville, the present owner of it. (fn. 2)
HARTANGER, written in Domesday, Hertange, is a small manor in this parish, which, at the time of taking that survey, was part of the possessions of the bishop of of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it:
Radulf, son of Robert, holds of the bishop Hertange. It was taxed at one suling. The arable land is . . . . . In demesne there is one carucate, and five villeins, with two borderers, having two carucates. In the time of king Edward the Confessor, it was worth forty shillings, and afterwards ten shillings, now sixty shillings. Eddid held it of king Edward.
Four years after taking this survey, the bishop's estates, on his disgrace, were confiscated; upon which this manor of Hartangre came into the hands of the crown; whence it was afterwards granted to Simon Fitz-Adam, by whom it was held by knight's service, by barony, of Dover castle, by the service of ward for the space of fifteen days, for the defence of it.
Of Simon Fitz-Adam and his heir Adam Fitzwilliam, this manor was afterwards held by the Pirots. Alan Pirot died possessed of it at the latter end of king Henry I.'s reign, and was succeeded in it by Robert Pirot, whose heir was Ingelram de Fontibus; how long he and his heirs held it, I do not find; but at the latter end of king Henry III. or the beginning of king Edward I.'s reign, William de Hartanger held it. After him it became the estate of Robert de Hardres, as may be seen by the book of knight's fees, and he held it by knight's service of the honor of Clare. In the 8th year of the next reign of king Edward II. his next successor in it was Reginald de Tondresley; how long it continued in that name does not appear; but at the latter end of king Henry VI.'s reign it was come into the possession of Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth-castle, whose descendant of the same name, in the beginning of queen Elizabeth's reign, passed it away to Francis Santon, esq. whose son and heir Francis Santon alienated it soon afterwards to Edward Merriweather, second son of Edward, of Shebbertswell, who resided here, and dying possessed of it in 1621, anno 20 James I. was buried in this church, and in his descendants it continued, till at length about the middle of the last century, it was sold to Pot, and Mr. William Pot, citizen and apothecary, of London, gave it by his will in 1691, with other lands in this county, to trustees and their survivors, in trust, for them to pay two hundred pounds per annum, out of the rents and profits of them, to Christ's hospital, and the remaining produce of them to the hospital of Bethlem, in London; in which trust this manor continues vested at this time. (fn. 3)
It appears by the register of Ledes abbey, that Sibilla de Watemle gave to the priory of Ledes, in free and perpetual alms, inter alia, the tithe of Hartangre, which gift was confirmed by archbishop Theobald, in the reign of king Stephen.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly or casually relieved are not more than one or two at most.
THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Sandwich.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, is a small building of great antiquity; the outside is curiously adorned with carve-work in stone, with circular arches and windows, especially at the east end; the west end has a fine circular arch with Saxon ornaments and zig-zag border; and in the inside is another like arch between the body and chancel. This church, so well known to every lover of antiquity, of which so many engravings have been made, is a most curious specimen of Anglo Saxon architecture. It consists of a body and chancel, separated by a circular arch, supported by two elegant wreathed pillars; a row of singular uncouth heads are round the cornice; a beautiful circular window is at the east end; at the foot of the wall are two circular arches, forming recesses, probably for places of sepulture, and not improbably for the founders of the church. The grand south entrance, now partly hid by a modern porch, is most curiously sculptured with rows of figures of various kinds. Nitches for statues are all round the building. There is no steeple, a small wooden turret having been taken down a few years since. There is only one bell. In the chancel is a mural monument for Thomas Boys, gent. of Barfreston, of the family of Fredville, obt. 1599; arms, Or, a griffin segreant, sable, within a bordure, gules. Another mural monument for Robert Ewell, rector and patron, one of the six preachers of Canterbury cathedral, obt. 1638. A gravestone for George Smith, forty-one years rector of this parish, obt. 1752. Several of the Boy's were buried in this church. In the windows of it were formerly these arms, viz. Azure, two bendlets, argent, within a bordure, and the same arms without the bordure.
¶The advowson of this church, which is a rectory, was antiently appendant to the manor; but in the reign of king Henry VIII. it was become an advowson in gross, and was in the possession of John Boys, of Denton, attorney-general to the duchy of Lancaster, who held it by knight's service of the king, as of his castle of Dover. His son William Boys, esq. of Denton, sold this advowson to his kinsman Thomas Boys, of Aythorne, and in his descendants it continued down till the reign of king Charles I. when it was alienated to Ewell, from one of which name it was sold to Sir Basil Dixwell, who was possessed of it in 1640; since which it has become part of the possessions of the president and fellows of St. John's college, in Oxford, who are the present patrons of it.
This rectory is valued in the king's books at 7l. 14s. it is now a discharged living of the clear yearly value of about thirty pounds. In 1588 it was valued at sixty shillings, and here were communicants forty. In 1640 it was valued at fifty shillings, and here were the like number of communicants.
This rectory has been augmented by the governors of queen Anne's bounty with 200l. and a like sum added to it by the president and fellows of St. John's college, with which the house, barn, and appurtenances were new built, and a barn, stable and lands were purchased in the parish of Alkham, now of the annual rent of thirty pounds.
There is a glebe belonging to it of seven acres, of which one is in Nonington, but in the king's books there is said to be ten acres of glebe land.
One summer dress made, 90 bajillion to go. #fattyneedsnewclothes I stayed home from the gym tonight (UGH I am still SUPER sick) so I finished my dress. Then I got really sad while taking pictures of it how horrifying I look from the side. Shoulda gone to the gym! However, I swear the beer/food baby is getting EVEN BIGGER with all the gym going. :(
pattern: the ubiquitous April Rhodes staple dress, I went with the on-trend hi-lo version of the hem even tho I'm not sure that trend isn't DRIVING ME BANANAS.
fabric: Voile -- the print is Cocoon by Valori Wells from a recent shopping splurge on a sale on voile
(shoes: Mis Mooz; belt: Anthropologie. I want it in yellow now too!)
(Note: also worn with a(n above knee length) full slip. The voile is very sheer.)
MORE PICTURES BELOW
Dress specs:
--I made a muslin on Sunday morning, then adjusted a few things and resewed it together and then moved on to my real fabric and made the expected changes to sizing below and a few other tweaks.
--M on top, gradating to XL on the bottom
--since gradating from an M to an XL introduces a lot of shaping that isn't actually there in the pattern (if you're all one size, it's a much bigger circumference all the way down), I skipped the shirring, just letting my belt do the work of gathering it in
--I took an inch off the outside of the sleeve area to make the armholes fit better (the equivalent of making the shoulders smaller w/o affecting the size across the bust)
--and I added an inch to the hem as I really liked the (unhemmed) length of the muslin I made Sunday morning so I wanted it to be that long hemmed.
Comes together very easily, french seams make the inside v. smooth, the voile isn't TOO bad to work with altho it's a lot slipperier than quilting cotton.
This is a very no-frills dress designed for beginner sewers. No bust darts, no shaping (unless you are different sizes on top & bottom as I mentioned above), really nothing fancy going on, so the fit is as it would be for something designed that way -- OK but not amazing. You get what you paid for -- a lot of bang for your buck if you're new to sewing so I would recommend it for beginners! The things I would want to change about it are things that would really require I use a fancier pattern...and also a lot more energy/time on my part. ;)
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
--------------------------------------------------
Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
-------------------------------------------------
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
--------------------------------------------------
Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
-------------------------------------------------
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
I stayed home from work and when my headache finally went away, I got dolled up to go to the Heights and run errands.
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
--------------------------------------------------
Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
-------------------------------------------------
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
Staying Home Covid-19 is here and we all have to stay at home to halt the spread of the virus. We photographers are reduced to taking pictures in the house, so here are a few things of interest.
The Serpent's Egg In homage to Ingmar Bergman, and fired by the oil slides I saw at a Pink Floyd concert at the Roundhouse in 1966, I stirred oil and water over some light trails. This is hippie, trippy reversion to type as I hurtle towards the grave with the vigour of a teenager.
Photographic Information
Taken on 4th April,2020 at 1125hrs with a Canon EOS 650D digital still camera, through a Canon EF-S 18-55mm (29-88mm in 35mm terms) Æ’/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, post-processed with Adobe Photoshop CS5..
© Tim Pickford-Jones 2020
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
--------------------------------------------------
Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
-------------------------------------------------
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
--------------------------------------------------
Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
-------------------------------------------------
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
I stayed home today since it was my brother`s birthday and my dad went to work and I thought I`d be nice and take care of everything at home.
So today I realized when there`s no one home, I record my day with pictures. As in, I follow myself around the house with a tripod and camera. It gets to be a hassle sometimes.
In other news, AYYY I got a new shortboard. It`s a Sector Nine. I suck at riding it so far haha ATE DIRT ONLY ONCE THOUGH :]
-SIGH- I miss being able to view the "Original" size. WEHH I miss my pro account.
For more information on my photography, please visit me here:
Thanks for the comments and "faves" :)
Stayed home with a sinus headache...hence the slightly sour look
head scarf- thrifted
shades- old navy
camo t-shirt- gifted from my mom
tank top- bought forever ago from a store that I used to work at
pants that I was planning to take to get rid of, but decided to cut off instead- thrifted
red danskos- thrifted
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
--------------------------------------------------
Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
-------------------------------------------------
LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.
A continuing evolution which is only a couple of months into it's progress- and why I don't wind up answering IM's right away :D
Oceanfront, 3 houses and a spa building. Oh and the skyboxes, not yet shown.
The weekend again.
And if truth be known, we had not recovered from the very last night Thursday and the late nights Wednesday and Friday, which meant a king of lay in until just before seven.
I get up and after getting dressed go straight out to Tesco for fuel and supplies. Jools stayed home to make beds and have a shower.
There are shortages through the store, mostly in fresh produce where tomatoes are hard to come by, but at least more than red peppers were now available. I get the usual stuff and go to pay and load the car and to home.
Straight home for a coffee before we put the shopping away and have fruit.
A couple of hours to lollygagg about before we had appointments. Well, appointment.
Before that there was an hour to fill, so I knew a church that could fill that hole.
Before going to Swingfield, we called in at Capel, mainly because I knew it would be open, but also because it had been nearly 7 years since I was last here.
To Capel, then take a lane out into the countryside, round some sharp corners before taking the second dead end lane on the right, which was caked in mud from the farm halfway along.
And I wanted to make sure I captured the details in the windows.
Most notable feature here, is clearly the stone rood screen, with three lower arches and the one with the cross above, not sure of the screen would have been painted on plaster or on a wooden board in front.
From there, we head across country to Rver where we were to pick Ang (from last week) up to take her to see Swingfield. The lanes meandered across the countryside, past St Radigan's Abbey, or the ruin of, before plunging into Combe Valley, past the old box factory to where she was waiting beside the road.
We had an hour before the appointment, so as Ang liked churches, I took her on a whistle-stop tour of Barfrestone, which she had not heard of.
There is just one place to park in the village, beside the old phone box, then walk up the lane before climbing the steps into the churchyard. It was unlocked, so was able to show Ang the carvings, corbels and details that make this such a special church.
But time was against us, as we had to be in Swingfield in half an hour.
Back to the car, then drive to the A2, down Lydden Hill, then along to Swingfield, where for the first time ever, the gate to the car park was open.
Between Lydden and Hawkinge, there is a large medieval building beside the back road. It is called St John's Commandery, and was built and used by the Knights Hospitallers.
I have been trying to see inside it for 15 years, and now that English Heritage provide a phone number to the keyholder, an appointment to visit can easily be made.
And at one this afternoon, we arrived to find the gate to the small car park open, and once we had parked and walked round, found the door open.
The building was a chapel, then converted to a farm house in the 16th century. Sadly, when it fell under the control of English Heritage, they demolished the farm house, as the policy then was to try to create how the building was when new.
Needless to say, a preserved farmhouse from that period would now be quite the thing. But it is lost.
The east end of the building is still quite church-like, but the western half is pretty much a house, though with no furniture, rickety stairs lead up and along, and small windows pierce the two feet thick walls.
Not quite was I was expecting, but I think all of it to be a church, or all like the east-end, I guess.
The rest of the building is part-house, now empty of all furniture and fittings except some well-used fireplaces.
I took shots, not as many as I had thought, but the job was done, another tick in the box.
Pub lunch?
Outside we met the keyholder who had come to see us, even better for him was the fact we were done by just after one, so he could lock up. But before that, we had a long talk about the building, what has been done and what needs to be done to secure it.
We walk to the car, then drive to the road from Hawkinge, but turn north to Barham, though we stopped at Denton (the home of happiness), where the cats used to to stay when we went on our holibobs.
The Jackdaw is a fine old pub, and used as a location for the film, The Battle of Britain, so had many photos from the filming on the walls.
We took a set in the window, and though Jools and Ang just ordered a starter, I saw steak and stout pie, so ordered that along with a pint of ale.
We were warned of delays due to a parge group that had arrived, but 20 minutes later the food came, all freshly cooked, and mine so hot I could barely eat it at first.
And was delicious too.
We passed on dessert, and with the afternoon now having reached two, we dropped Ang back home and then drove back to Chez Jelltex, where I put the kettle on for a brew before the footy started at three.
Norwich struggled to a 0-0 draw at Wigan, so the new dawn fades. Again.
More football in the evening on the tellybox, Newcastle v Liverpool, which should have been a tight game, but Liverpool found themselves 2-0 and the Newcatle keeper sent off, all in the first twenty minutes.
I watched this, sitting on the sofa with scully in front of the roaring fire, as our heating has failed, so this is the only way to warm the house until a guy comes round on Monday.
By the time we went to bed, the living room was a little smoky, which spread round the house. I thought I had broken the burner, but was much funnier than that, as you will find out tomorrow.
To bed at half eight, for nine straight hours kip.
I hoped.
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Standing in a windswept setting at the confluence of many footpaths, St Mary's church was long ago abandoned in favour of a modern church more centrally located to the straggling village outside Folkestone. The church is of Norman origins, but its present character dates from the late thirteenth/early fourteenth century. Its outstanding feature is a triple-arched chancel screen with an arched opening above in which once stood the Rood. This was not the rood screen in itself, for the capitals of the triple arcade cut to take the more conventional wooden screen. It has recently been argued that a western window originally threw light onto the rood figures prior to the construction of the present tower. To the north of the screen is a fine window, higher than others in the church, which may well have served the same purpose following the addition of the tower in the fourteenth century. For a small church, St Mary's contains two very good nineteenth century stained glass windows, and a notable mural tablet with military insignia. The church is in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust. Keyholder nearby West tower, nave, chancel, south porch.
www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Capel+le+Ferne+2
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LIES the next parish south-eastward from Alkham, but within the hundred of Folkestone, taking its name from its having ever been esteemed a chapel, capella, to the church of Alkham. It is likewise called Capell le Ferne, and Capell by Folkestone, to distinguish it from another parish of the same name, near Tunbridge.
CAPELL lies upon the hills between Dover and Folkestone, but the situation of it is much less subject to them than the adjoining parishes above-described, especially about the church, which stands in the center of it, near which the fields are of a more even surface than is usual in this part of the county, and the lands are much more fertile, and of a higher rent. In this parish I first saw the shocks of wheat, whilst in the field, all covered in bad weather with bass matting, to secure them from the wet; which, I am informed, is a usual custom in this neighbourhood, though not much approved of by the most intelligent farmers in it. At a small distance southwest from the church is an estate, called Capell-sole farm, from a large pond close to it, belonging to Hughes Minet, esq. and now inhabited by Captain Ridley, of Dover. There is no village in it, the houses being dispersed singly throughout it. The high road from Folkestone to Dover goes over the high chalk cliffs, along the southern part of this parish, where the lands are open uninclosed downs, and are bounded by the above-mentioned cliffs on the sea shore. This part of the parish is part of the possessions of the archbishop of Canterbury, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone. There is no fair held in the parish.
THE MANOR OF CAPELL, called likewise the manor of St. Mary le Merge, was antiently part of the possessions of Nigell de Muneville, whose descendant William de Muneville leaving an only daughter and heir, she carried it in marriage to William de Albrincis, or Averenches, whose son, of the sams name, leaving likewise an only daughter and heir Matilda, she entitled her husband Hamo de Crevequer to it. He left four daughters, of whom Elene, married to Bertram de Crioll, on the partition of their inheritance, entitled her husband to this manor, and he died possessed of it in the 23d year of Edward I. leaving two sons John and Bertram, who both died s.p. and a daughter Joane, who upon the death of the latter became his heir, and carried this manor, among the rest of her inheritance, in marriage to Sir Richard de Rokesle, whose eldest daughter and coheir Agnes entitled her husband Thomas de Poynings to the possession of it; in whose descendants it continued down to Sir Edward Poynings, of Westenhanger, (fn. 1) governor of Dover castle and lord warden, who in the 12th year of king Henry the VIII.th's reign gave it in marriage with Mary, one of his natural daughters, to Thomas Fynes, lord Clinton and Saye, to whom this manor was confirmed in the 30th year of it. His son Edward, lord Clinton and Saye, in the reign of queen Mary, passed it away by sale to Mr. Henry Herdson; after which it continued in like manner as Folkestone, and his other estates in this neighbourhood, till the death of Sir Basill Dixwell, bart. of Brome, about the latter end of king Charles II.'s reign; soon after which Oliver Wright and others, under the direction of the court of chancery, in 1691, conveyed it to William Young, who pulled down the antient mansion of this manor, and built the present court-lodge of it. At his death he devised it to his son Nicholas young, who died unmarried; upon which it came to his sister Elizabeth, who had married first Henry Hughes, esq. by whom she had a daughter, married to the Rev. John Minet, of Eythorne; and 2dly, Wm. Veal, esq. of Dover; and on her death, by the entail of her father's will, it came to her son by her second husband, Young Veal, who by recovery in 1744, barred the future remainders. After his death it was sold in 1753, under a decree of chancery, to William Minet, esq. of London, who died possessed of it in 1767, and by will devised this manor, with Church and Capell-sole farms, and other lands belonging to it, to his nephew Hughes Minet, esq. of London, who is now the owner of them. (fn. 2) This manor is subject to a castle-guard rent to Dover castle.
CALDHAM, now usually called Coldham, from its cold and exposed situation, is a manor in the south-east part of this parish, which appears by records to have been antiently the patrimony of owners of the same name, who bore for their arms, Gules, a fess, ermine, between three martlets, argent; but before the reign of king Richard II. they had passed it away to Baker, a family of good account in this part of the county, having a peculiar chancel belonging to them in Folkestone church, who resided at it; and in this name it continued down to John Baker, of Caldham, who was gentleman porter of Calais in the reigns of Henry V. and VI. and bore for his arms, Argent, on a fess, nebulee, sable, a tower, triple-towered, of the first, between three keys of the second; perhaps in allusion to his office. He died without male issue in the 17th year of the latter reign, holding this manor in capite, and leaving five daughters his coheirs; and upon the division of their inheritance, Robert Brandred, in right of Joan his wife, the fourth daughter, became entitled to it; and their son Robert, about the latter end of king Henry VI. passed it away to Sir Thomas Browne, of Beechworth castle, whose descendant, Sir Anthony Browne, in the 33d year of king Henry VIII. exchanged it for other premises with that prince, who in his 36th year, granted it to William Wilsford, and others, citizens of London, to hold in capite; and they, in the 37th year of it, alienated it to John Tuston, esq. of Hothfield, whose grandson Sir Nicholas Tuston, knight and baronet, was by king Charles I. created Baron of Tuston and Earl of Thanet, in whose descendants it has continued down to the right hon. Sackville, earl of Thanet, the present owner of it.
¶SOTMERE is a manor, in the eastern part of this parish, which seems to have been once part of the possessions of the neighbouring abbey of St. Radigund, and after the dissolution of it in the 27th year of Henry VIII. to have been granted by the king, among the rest of the possessions of it, in his 29th year, to the archbishop Cranmer, who the year afterwards exchanged the scite of St. Radigund's, with almost all the rest of the estates of it, again with the king. After which, this manor being granted from the crown, passed at length into the family of Gibbs, originally of Devonshire, who settled first at Combe, in Hawking, and went from thence to Elmestone. Several of them lie buried in this church, and there is now in the chancel, a gravestone, with the figures of a man and woman in brass, with an inscription for John Gybbes and Mary his wyff, anno 1526. There is one shield of arms remaining, of four coats, first and fourth, two mascles in fess; second and third, two roses in like fess. From this name, after some intermediate owners, it was sold to Spencer, in which name it seems to have been about the time of the restoration of king Charles II. at length Alban Spencer, gent. who resided here, leaving three daughters his coheirs, Sarah, married to Mr. Richard Halford; Susannah, to Mr. R. Buck; and Mary, to Mr. Robert Gunsley Ayerst, clerk, they jointly succeeded to this manor. Mr. Richard Halford died possessed of his third part in 1766, and left it to his only son Richard, who sold it to Mr. Robert Finnis, of Dover, the present possessor of it. Mr. Robert Buck, on his death without issue, devised his third part to his niece Jane Ayerst; and her father, the Rev. Mr. Ayerst, in right of his wife, is the present owner of the remaining third part of it.
There has not been any court held for this manor for a great number of years past, though there were antient persons within these few years who remember its having been held.
The archbishop of Canterbury is entitled to lands in this parish, and within the liberty of the town of Folkestone, lying adjoining to the lands of Sotmere, and between them and the sea shore, called Abbots, alias Cliffe lands, as having once belonged to the abbey of St. Radigund's, which have been for many years held in lease by the owners of Sotmere manor.
There are no parochial charities. The poor constantly relieved are about eighteen, casually sixteen.
CAPELL is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Dover.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Mary, consists of one isle and one chancel, having a low square tower at the west end.
This church was always esteemed as a chapel to the church of Alkham, and was given with it, by the name of the chapel of Mauregge, by Hamo de Crevequer, to the abbot and convent of St. Radigund, together with the advowson, to hold in free, pure and perpetual alms. After the dissolution of the monasteries in king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, this chapel, with the church of Alkham, passed together, in manner as has been already related under that parish, in exchange to the archbishop of Canterbury and his successors, in which state it remains at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of the vicarage of Alkham, with the chapel of Capell le Ferne, alias St. Mary le Merge, belonging to it.
It is not valued separately in the king's books, being included in the valuation of the vicarage of Alkham.
The great tithes of Sotmere and Capell wards, in this parish, (formerly part of the possessions of St. Radigund's), are held by lease for three lives, of the archbishop.
The lessee of the parsonage of Folkestone claims, as such, a certain portion of the great tithes of this parish.