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Another of the fantastic Church Mirco cache series! This one is place just outside the grounds of St Leonard's Church in Hythe.
You will be looking for a 35mm film canister (you know the type!) No pencil or pen in this cache so dont forget to bring your own!
St Leonard's stands far from the sea today, but when the first Norman church was built, in c.1080, the high Street formed the quayside of the Cinque Port of Hythe.
The earliest known reference to a church in the town is found in the contemporary Doomesday Monarchum.
Some writers believe that the north transept, now called St Edmund's Chapel, may have then incorporated a Saxon place of worship; a Saxon-style arch is still plainly visible.The original early Norman church, built about 1090, consisted of an aisle-less nave and a small square-ended Chancel such as that at West Hythe. Traces of this early Norman work may be seen in the two round-headed windows at the western end of the north arcade.
At a later Norman period about 1175, consider-able enlargements were made when the aisles were added by piercing the north and south walls, and inserting an arcade of Norman arches. The plan of the church now became cruciform by the addition of north and south transepts, and a new chancel was built round the earlier one.
The third stage in development was achieved in the 13th century, when the Early English style of architecture was reaching perfection. A west tower was added, the Norman choir demolished, and replaced by the existing magnificent choir and sanctuary.
The west tower of the medieval church collapsed in 1739; possibly it had finally succumbed to weakness created by a severe earthquake of 1580. The ferocity of the tremors was reported to have made the church bells ring and caused dangerous cracks in nearby Saltwood Castle.
A newspaper reported: "We learn from Hythe that on Thursday morning last, about eleven o'clock, the steeple of their church fell down, and that they have been busy digging out the bells, being six in number. About ten persons were present when it fell, waiting for keys in the church porch to go up the steeple for a view. But some delay being made in bringing them, they all happily saved their lives, and no other damage than being terribly frightened.
The tower was subsequently reconstructed in 1750, using the old materials, with the south transept being rebuilt the following year, largely through the generosity of the Deedes family, many of whose ancestors are buried there.
There was a clock in the tower before 1413, although the present instrument dates from 1901.
A peal of at least five bells is recorded before the 1480s. Subsequently there were normally eight, two bells being added in 1993 to make the full peal of ten.
In the 18th century the nave was surrounded by galleries to provide enough seating for the town's growing population. Poorer people sat up there while the best pews below were ' rented out ' to wealthier worshippers.
In 1751 the Deedes family rented one such pew for themselves and four more for their servants.
The mayor and the town corporation had their own pews at the front.
Present councilors still sit at the front, in the pews with carved poppy-heads.
Burial vaults were made outside the church in the later 18th and early 19th cenuries.
The church is certainly worth a look inside. It has a great atmosphere and the huge stained glass windows at the end ot the Nave looks Awsome when light by the sun.
THE CRYPT.... There are some 2000 skulls in the Bonehouse of St Leonard’s Church, mainly arranged on shelves so you can get a good look at them! There are also about 8000 long bones – mainly thigh-bones – in a rather nicely designed pile. So that represents the remains of about 4000 people.They are mostly Resident from Hythe and the surounding area who died in the early life of the church,.then dug up in the 13th Century when the church was extended eastwards over their graves by the addition of the great chancel. Later, other bones disturbed when new graves were dug may have been added to the pile, and some may even have been brought in from other churchyards in Hythe when these fell out of use and were disposed of. The Crypt is Open during the summer months for public viewing and occasionally during other times of the year.
There is a lot more info on the church website about the Crypt, Church history and recent events and activites it worth an online visit.
It is best to park in Hythe Town centre and walk up to the church but it is a VERY steep walk.You may be able to find car parking closer to the church.
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.
Goodluck and happy caching!-M3HXE.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Cbfgrq oruvaq gur sebagyvar?