Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The parish church was originally built in the early 12th century 30m South-West of this site. Excavations show it to have originaly been of timber, but it was rebuilt in stone in the late 12th or early 13th century. Later in the 13th century, the site was abandoned and the new church was built. Rebuilt in 1867, it was bombed in 1942 and demolished.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (CHURCH, Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD to 1942 AD)

Full description

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(TR 14945764) Church of St Mary Bredin [NR] (site of) [NAT]. (1) Of early foundation, rebuilt in modern times: destroyed in 1939-45 war. (2) Church of St Mary Bredin, Canterbury, founded early 12th century (3a).Pulled down in 1866, rebuilt 1867, destroyed in 1942. Rebuilt east of Canterbury (Old Dover Road) in 1957. Small surrounding graveyard site now under Marlowe shopping precincts. (3) The earliest church was almost certainly that excavated in the garden of 16 Watling St - CBA Churches Bull 19. In the eastern corner of the Marlowe IV excavations the rear of the church of St Mary Bredin was located. The earliest remianing walls dated to the late 13th and early 14th century. Reused fragments of worked Caen stone from the walls indicate a mid 12th century church, attested by documentary sources once stood on the site. Seventy eight skeletons were found. Brick vaults which were constructed inside the church during the 17th century removed all traces of earlier floors and burials inside the church. (4)

<1> OS 1:2500 (OS Card Reference). SKE48196.

<2> Arch J 86 1930 248 (Clapham) (OS Card Reference). SKE36736.

<3> CBA Churches Comm Bull 25 1989 - compiled 1984 - 10 12 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38772.

<4> Cant Arch Trust Ann Rep 1980-81 4-5 (K Blockley) (OS Card Reference). SKE38497.

Sources and further reading

Related records