St Peter's Church, Bridge, is at the
north-western corner of the High Street and Bourne Park Road.
The first building here in 1189 was a small chapel. It was enlarged
through the 1100s-1200s to become a full-sized church building. In
1859-60, with burgeoning Victorian congregations, the church
underwent considerable restoration and enlargement, handled by
architect (Sir) Giles Gilbert Scott, when the external walls were
completely refaced with dark knapped flint.
Bridge Methodist Church is on the southern
side of Patrixbourne Road, about fifty metres north-east of the
junction with the High Street. Known as a 'Tin Tabernacle' or 'Iron
Chapel', it was erected in 1894 by fourteen members of the local
community to serve as a Wesleyan Methodist chapel. During the Second
World War a baby clinic operated here, but the chapel closed its
doors for the last time in 1987. In 2019 it was converted into a
private residence, as pictured.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin, Nackington,
is on the south-eastern side of Church Lane, to the east of the
Nackington Road junction, and between Court Lodge and Sextries Farm. A
church in some form - Anglo-Saxon in origin - existed here by 1076 when
it was given by Archbishop Lanfranc to the Priory of St Gregory in
Canterbury which rebuilt it. It stands on a slight rise, with a
traditional Norman tower topped by a wooden spire in which hangs a
single bell.
Its nave dates to the end of the eleventh century
or perhaps just a little later. The nave roof with tie beams and king
posts belongs to the 1300s. The chancel was added in the 1200s,
although its north wall may be contemporary with the nave. The south
chapel came later, with building settlement being a problem. The flint
with brick and stone masonry was originally plastered inside and out.
Later in the 1200s a large chapel was added to the chancel's south
side.
The Church of St Mary, Lower Hardres, is
on the northern side of School Lane, with the lane to North Court
farm on its eastern flank. It was built in 1831-2 by Rickman and
Hutchinson in the Early English style, the most recent of two or
three previous buildings from 1226 on. It was built in flint with
ashlar dressings and slate roof. The tower at the north-west corner
of the nave forms a porch on the ground floor with octagonal upper
storey and stone broach spire.
Petham Primitive Methodist Church is on
the northern side of Town Road, about thirty metres south of the
junction with Watery Lane and some way to the north of Petham
itself. An earlier building on this site was opened in 1850, but
the congregation quickly replaced it - in 1863 - with the present
building, probably enlarged. In the twentieth century it became
part of the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches, but closed by 2007
and by 2009 had been converted for private use.
Photos on this page kindly contributed by Josh
A Tilley, Paul Moore, Jelltex, and Keith Guyler / British Methodist
Buildings, all via the 'History Files: Churches of the British Isles'
Flickr group.
