Churches of the British Isles

Large areas of it survive, despite the sacking of the town in 1217 and 1457 by the French. An earthquake in 1579 and the collapse of the stone tower in 1688 also caused rebuilding work, and the last event saw the roof replaced in a fairly unique way by covering the wide nave in a single span, giving it a magnificent sense of space. Greatly restored in the 1870s, the church fell again into a state of disrepair. Made redundant in 1948, it was saved from demolition in 1952.

St James (Jacob's) Old Chapel & Hermitage in Sandwich sits on Church Street (now St Mary's). The hermitage was sited on the northern side of the street, to the south of what is now the site of Sandwich Infant School and behind Nos 1-11 Church street. The chapel here was dedicated to St James (St Jacob). It was pulled down in 1543 leaving a burial ground in occasional use. The hermitage sat at the western end of the burial ground, and this was sold in 1776.

The last hermit was John Steward. At the Reformation he became parson of St Mary's (above). The burial ground site is now a school playing field. The headmaster recalled that occasional burials have been discovered in the field. No evidence survives of the chapel or hermitage (Hermitage House is shown here). Grade 2 listed boundary walls behind Nos 1-11 Church Street are the same walls which surrounded the hermitage, some medieval, some with additions.

Strand Street Chantry Chapel sits in Three Kings Yard, behind No 11 Strand Street, the Chanter's House. The yard is a side passage which is accessed alongside No 11. The ruined chantry chapel was erected about 1250 (although 1230 is given as an alternative). Initially it was part of a Norman merchant's house which stood on what was the quayside. Conversion to a chantry chapel came a little later (date uncertain), but the Reformation turned it into a ruin.

Later it was converted back into a house when Flemish refugees poured into Sandwich, with added brickwork being visible in the structure. Originally that had an undercroft, above which the owner lived in a hall which occupied two-thirds of this part, and behind which was a small retiring room or bedroom. Today it provides the open-air walls to a private garden. The Charter's House itself is one of the finest examples of a medieval timber framed house.

All photos on this page by P L Kessler & M Kessler in 2010 & 2025.