Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Site of former parish church of Warden which, damaged by coastal erosion, was demolished in 1887. The church was supposedly pre 16th century with additions made 1836 using stone from the old London Bridge.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (demolished 1881, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD to 1836 AD)

Full description

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[TR 02017255] St. James's Church [NR] (Site of) [NAT] (1) "When the writer first visited Sheppy ... Warden Church was apparently safe and in regular use for divine service; a few years after a considerable landslip took place in front of it which soon caused further mischief, for the church walls cracked in every direction and subsequently the entire fabric fell, to be followed by further slips which forced seawards the site of the church and later still the churchyard". (2) St James's Church (Site of). Applies to the site of parish church of Warden which was taken down in 1881. It was erected prior to the 16 c. (3) Warden. Dedication: St.James - (The Parishioners were buried at Minster). (4) There was a church near the edge of the cliffs at Warden, but as encroachments of the sea threatened, it was allowed to become in a bad state of repair and eventually demolished. This was in 1887, and within a short time, the actual sport upon which it had stood slipped down into the sea. About 1836 a tower had been built upon the church by Mr. Delamark Banks of Sheppey Court, using stones from the old London Bridge recently demolished. (5) The site of this church now lies far beyond the present cliff edge. Photos of church in "All Saints", Eastchurch (6) (Kent 14 S.W. 6). Warden Church which was rebuilt in 1836 of stone from old London Bridge, fell a victim to the encroachments of the sea. Its final remains were demolished in 1887, and a tablet commemorating it placed in the garden of Stone Bridge House (7). Additional references (8,9), for site in context with others in inter-tidal zone, see (10) and site photographs (11-13).

<1> OS 6" 1931-8 (OS Card Reference). SKE48330.

<2> Coll Cant 1893 100 (G Payne) (OS Card Reference). SKE39120.

<3> Rev R Henry Dickson Rector Eastchurch June 1906 (OS Card Reference). SKE49207.

<4> ONB Kent 14 SW Revised 1931 (OS Card Reference). SKE47879.

<5> Teatamenta Cantiana East Kent 1907 350 (A Hussey) (OS Card Reference). SKE49821.

<6> A Saunter Through Kent 28 1934 84-5 (C Igglesden) (OS Card Reference). SKE32894.

<7> F1 ASP 13.08.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42079.

<8> DOE(HHR)Sheppey RD Kent Oct 1960 7 (OS Card Reference). SKE41401.

<9> Field report for monument TR 07 SW 1 - August, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5309.

<10> Department of Archaeology, University of Reading, 1994, Inter-tidal archaeology in Kent, p 33 (Unpublished document). SWX9353.

<11> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10213.

<12> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10214.

<13> 1998, Photograph (Photograph (Print)). SWX10219.

Sources and further reading