Where Am I? No. 32 - Country Church

[Trishanne]

Jool, more great photos, doesn't it look nice.
It is most unusual having a porch and a portico. I am sure I looked at this one on the side of the tower with a porch and dismissed it.  Ah well!!
There is a some wording carved in to the side of the portico, I wonder what it says.
Pat

[Jool]

Pat, I think I saw this one from the side too, but obviously didn't look close enough    At least it's been found by eagle eyes Spidermonkey. 

I can't make out the words on the portico either, I have tried a bit of googling in case someone had photographed it close up or transcribed it - no luck.

[Little Nell]

Brilliant!  That's a wonderful find. 

Interesting to see that it got a heavy makeover in the 19th century.  The porch is apparently Byzantine and the cross in the gable is a Canterbury cross. - but it wasn't given that name until 1867 when they found a Saxon brooch in Canterbury.

Nell

[Joyful]

Very well done Spidermonkey, you're a super sleuth too

I must find something soon, trouble is I can't devote much time to searching

at the moment...life gets in the way

Joy

[DavidG02]

Congratulations SpiderMonkey 

I too am certain I looked at Kent churches 

Just some interesting notes from sugarbakers link

This charming little church is sometimes called “the Church in the Garden”. It is quite off the beaten track, in the grounds of the magnificent mansion of Betteshanger. There has been a church on this site since before the Reformation. The present building is little more than 100 years old, put up by the first Lord Northbourne in the Norman style, incorporating a Norman window and doorway from the ancient church.

Just looking around at various styles of church and I'm going to stick my neck out here and guess that this one is 11th to 13th century

In the Norman Style ..tick

Perhaps it's a Chapel as part of an estate and the gentleman with his back to the
camera is Lord Someone-or-other talking to the vicar who receives his living from the
said Lord Someone-or-other

By the first Lord Northbourne .. tick

Having another look at this I don't think its a church...well not in the regular sense. I feel it is either a private church or it is a parsonage or vicarage.

The garden is a bit too much for what I know of churches

Come on I have to give myself a big tick 

Well done everybody for throwing their clues in. Love this stuff 

[cazza59]

St Mary the Virgin, Betteshanger, Kent?
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:St_Mary_The_Virgin_church,_Betteshanger#/media/File:Porch_on_the_church_of_St_Mary_The_Virgin,_Betteshanger_-_geograph.org.uk_-_660109.jpg

I woke up this morning, did the usual jobs, made myself a cup of tea, thought I'll just log on to check on progress and find there has been some brilliant detective work done overnight! So chuffed it's been found!  Clever, clever you Spidermonkey!    How on earth did you find this little gem?

Should have known it would be in Kent, such a pretty church and setting!

Excellent work Spidermonkey and welcome to the Super Sleuths Club! 

Caz

[cazza59]

Well done, spidermonkey.

... and the whole thing ... http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/660105

It's so cute!  So pleased it still exists!

[cazza59]

I've run out of download again so I won't thank everyone individually as it will take all day (when my download runs out, I still have connection, but at dial up speed.  ).  I'm sure you know how much I appreciate everyone's efforts and generosity with your time, so thanks to one and all, and of course especially Spidermonkey! 

Another wonderful piece of architecture that quite a few more people now know about.  It's a shame you can't go inside, but it would be worth the trek to Kent take some photos.

Now, where did I put No. 34….   

Caz

[Ruskie]

Has anyone noticed the lucarnes (little louvered dormers in the spire for those who haven't completed their homework  ) are missing on the more recent photo.

First thing I noticed Jool. I haven't read all the links yet or looked at the pictures, but perhaps the tower was rebuilt at some stage.

Geograph says the current building is only 100 years old and some of the materials from the old church were reused in it's construction. Interesting.

Spidermonkey you are a marvel finding that. I expect between the lot of us we would have looked at thousands and thousands of churches without success. I suppose it wouldn't have helped that the lucarnes are missing and most of the photos are taken from a different angle.   

As I always like to ask .... how did you find it? Please tell.