Number 737 in the Church Micro Series. St Mary's is the parish church of Frittenden
Welcome to the village of Frittenden, the smallest parish in the Borough of Tunbridge Wells.
It is believed that an old Saxon church lay in the village, but the first written record of the church is in a supplement to the Domesday Monochorum. The church is recorded as being part of St Augustines Abbey in Canterbury. This pretty stone church, founded in the 11th century, with its attractive stained glass windows, is well worth a visit. In 1790 the church steeple was struck by lightning, and the nearby Cranbrook Fire Brigade was called out to fight the fire. Due to the effects of the fire, the church was very badly damaged, and was almost totally rebuilt by the curate, the Revd. Edward Moore and rededicated in 1848.
The eight bells in the tower of St Mary’s church were cast in the Croydon foundry of Gillet and Johnson in 1929. The tenor bell (the heaviest in the octave) weighs 15cwt. 1qtr. 4lbs and is tuned to the key of F. All the bells are hung in a two-tier frame ingeniously fitted into the small tower.
The lichgate is dedicated to Captain the Rev. Rupert Edward Inglis, Chaplain to the forces, who was killed in action near Ginchy at the Battle of the Somme on September 18th 1916, whist assisting to bring in wounded under fire.
Public on-road parking is available outside the church.
The cache is film canister size & is located on a public footpath adjacent to the graveyard. Please ensure it is left securely fastened and well hidden. Thank you.
PLEASE KEEP TO THE FOOTPATHS IN THE CHURCH GROUNDS
If anybody would like to expand the Church Micro series please do, we would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names, to avoid duplication.