Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The Church of St Nicholas, mentioned in the 11th century was in ruins in 1549, and the site was excavated in 1948 when it was found that the churchyard was being used in the C16th. The site of the church, churchyard and higher part of the town is almost covered by a shingle-treatment plant.

Monument Types

• INHUMATION CEMETERY (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1087 AD? to 1558 AD?)
• PARISH CHURCH (Demolished, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1087 AD? to 1558 AD)

Associated Finds

• FLOOR TILE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1087 AD? to 1558 AD?)

Full description

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The Church of St Nicholas, mentioned in the C11th was in ruins in 1549, and the site was excavated in 1948 when it was found that the churchyard was being used in the C16th. The site of the church, churchyard and higher part of the town is almost covered by a shingle-treatment plant.(1,6)

Skulls found fround the enclosed graveyard of St. Nicholas showing that burials had continued into the 16th century(2)

During the clearing of the attic at Sandwich Guildhall an 1821 plan of the foundations of the church at Stonar was found. The remains of the church and bodies surround were found by Henry Wood on the 6th Novemeber 1821 and the plan drawn by E. F. Stratton Reader in December of the same year. No account of this excavation seems to have been published. A total twenty-three burials were found with the site, eight internally and sixteen outside. The overall length of the church, from the plan, was at least 65 feet with its maximum width of about 46 feet. The North Transept, Chancel and Choir are labelled, but no wall relating to the South Transept could be located. The choir more probably represents a Nave. The substantial width of the Choir and Chanel together with the 28 feet wide North Transept could suggest the original presence of aisles. During the 1969- 72 excavations of the southern area of the town recovered 129 buirals from the churches graveyard, some showing signs of leprosy and turberculosis. (3,4, 5)

Site of church first visible on the Ordnance Survey 1877 edition [7] and last visible on the Ordnance Survey 1908 edition [8]. The Ordnance Survey 1938 edition [9] showed the site to have been developed upon. The area was seen to have been flooded and is known as Stonar Lake on Google Earth photography taken in 2007 [10].

<1> Field report for monument TR 35 NW 4 - June, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6027.

<2> Wood Jones, F., 1950, Miscellaneous Notes: Excavations at Stonar (Article in serial). SKE8186.

<3> Parfitt, K., 2001, An Early Excavation Plan of Stonar Church, Near Sandwich, KAR 145 p95 -99 (Article in serial). SKE8187.

<4> MacPherson-Grant, N., 1991, Excavations at Stonar, near Sandwich, Canterbury's Archaeology 14 p46 - 48 (Article in serial). SKE8188.

<5> Anderson, T., 1991, Human Bone Studies, Canterbury's Archaeology Page 58 (Article in serial). SKE8189.

<6> Hartman, F. W. & Stebbing, W. P. D., 1942, Stonar & the Wantsum Channel Part 3 The Siteof the Town of Stonar (Article in serial). SKE8185.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1858-73, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 1st Edition : 1872-1897, 1877/1:2500 (Map). SWX11831.

<8> Ordnance Survey, 1905-10, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 3rd edition: 1901-1912, 1908/1:2500 (Map). SWX11833.

<9> Ordnance Survey, 1928-1947, Ordnance Survey 1:2500 4th edition 1928-1947, 1938/1:2500 (Map). Ske12644.

<10> Google Earth, EARTH.GOOGLE.COM 02-MAY-2007 ACCESSED 18-JAN-2011 (Graphic material). SWX15704.

Sources and further reading