St Mary’s Smeeth is one of six churches in The Stour Downs Parish. A warm welcome awaits you at any of our services. The church offers a quiet place for reflection, prayer or exploring the history of this ancient building and its links with the community over the centuries.
There are many activities organised by the church community, including our popular “Fridays at Three” which includes great company, an interesting talk and delicious homemade refreshments at 3pm in The Oak Room on the last Friday of the month.
Information about the activities, worship and six historic churches in The Stour Downs Parish can be found on our website (www.stourdowns.org.uk) or the Stour Downs Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/Stour-Downs-Parish275026813134319).
Rev Chris Denyer can be contacted on 01303 470791 or parishpriest@stourdowns.org.uk
For general enquiries contact our Parish Administrator at office@stourdowns.org.uk
St Mary the Virgin, Smeeth is a pretty church built from locally quarried flint. It is described as ‘small, having two aisles and two chancels’.
The original Nave and Chancel are Norman, with the North Aisle and Brabourne Chapel having been added in the thirteenth century. The porch is fifteenth century.
Like St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Brabourne, there is a strong collection with the Scott family – there is a fine black and white marble memorial to the family in the Chapel.
The pulpit is Jacobean and came from the Chapel at Scotts Hall. The oak panelling round the altar and the pulpit, and the oak door to the south porch also came from Scotts Hall.
The altar window, designed by Wallace Wood in 1966, replaced a Victorian window in memory of Anna Maria Elizabeth Knatchbull.
The Window of the Resurrection (the ‘Butterfly Window’), on the left as you enter by the south door, was designed and made by Alexandra Le Rossignol and installed to mark the Millennium. Another example of her work can be found in St Mary the Virgin, Westwell, Ashford, Kent.
The tower was restored in 1881.
A major restoration project, necessitated by major water damage, has just been completed. Views of the work in progress are below.
The Royal Coat of Arms is here being restored by Jan Keevil and Campbell Clark:
With thanks to John Jamieson for the history of the church.