Old St Mary's, Walmer
Encyclopedia
Old St Mary's, Walmer, St Mary's Old Church, Blessed Mary of Walmer is a church in Upper Walmer
, Kent
, United Kingdom
.
It was built in 1120 as the chapel to the adjoining Walmer Manor
(now in ruins). The original Norman entrance door and chancel
arch survive, along with two windows on the south side. However, the nave's north wall was removed early in the 19th century to build on an extension, in which the Duke of Wellington
who worshipped here whilst staying at Walmer Castle
as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
. His hatchment
hangs on the north wall, which was reinstated in its original position when the extension was demolished in 1898, after the new churches of St Saviour's and New St Mary's
had been built in the parish (Old St Mary's had previously been the parish's only church.
Walmer
Walmer is a town in the district of Dover, Kent in England: located on the coast, the parish of Walmer is six miles north-east of Dover. Largely residential, its coastline and castle attract many visitors...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
It was built in 1120 as the chapel to the adjoining Walmer Manor
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
(now in ruins). The original Norman entrance door and chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch survive, along with two windows on the south side. However, the nave's north wall was removed early in the 19th century to build on an extension, in which the Duke of Wellington
Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington
Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS , was an Irish-born British soldier and statesman, and one of the leading military and political figures of the 19th century...
who worshipped here whilst staying at Walmer Castle
Walmer Castle
Walmer Castle was built by Henry VIII in 1539–1540 as an artillery fortress to counter the threat of invasion from Catholic France and Spain. It was part of his programme to create a chain of coastal defences along England's coast known as the Device Forts or as Henrician Castles...
as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports
The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports is a ceremonial official in the United Kingdom. The post dates from at least the 12th century but may be older. The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports was originally in charge of the Cinque Ports, a group of five port towns on the southeast coast of England...
. His hatchment
Hatchment
A hatchment is a funeral demonstration of the lifetime "achievement" of the arms and any other honours displayed on a black lozenge-shaped frame which used to be suspended against the wall of a deceased person's house...
hangs on the north wall, which was reinstated in its original position when the extension was demolished in 1898, after the new churches of St Saviour's and New St Mary's
St Mary's Church, Walmer
St Mary's or The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a church in Walmer, Kent, England.-History:It was designed by Arthur Blomfield in 1887 to take the pressure off the parish's two other churches, the small medieval Old St Mary's and St Saviour's...
had been built in the parish (Old St Mary's had previously been the parish's only church.