St Mary Magdalene's Church, Longfield, Kent

St Mary Magdalene's Church, Longfield Church

Image Source: John Salmon

A picturesque ensemble if ever there was one, and one which would scream `Victorian` to you if you did not realise that its core is of the 13th century. This is a most interesting building built, no doubt, by people who farmed sheep in this narrow valley, and who used their wealth to create a small simple church with a narrow north aisle. In the north window of the chancel is a very rare survival of early Victorian glass by an unknown artist whose work would rival the best designers of 50 years later. It shows the fishermen with a lovely surreal sea with huges fishes and a newt! One wishes that its history was better recorded. Also in the chancel is the highly decorated piscina, only discovered in 1999, and which is made from a Norman capital - it sits between a sedile and another piscina and creates a strange grouping. A treasure indeed. One window, depicting the Resurrection, is signed by the Maile studio of Canterbury and another has fragments of fifteenth century glass – a reminder that this church was once relatively wealthy.

1851 Census Details

Seating Capacity: 160

Morning Attendance: 35

Afternoon Attendance: 80

Evening Attendance: No service

Architecture Details

Original Build Date/Architect: Medieval

Restoration: 1889 Drake

Second Restoration:

Notes

Website

http://

Queries Relating to this Church

To contact this church, please try: A Church Near You

This Kent Churches website is provided to you for free, running at a loss in order to remain advert-free. If you are enjoying using the site and would like to make a small contribution towards our expenses, it would be most gratefully received. You can donate via Paypal.