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A Very Short History

Christians have been worshipping on this site since shortly after St. Augustine's mission to England in 597 AD. The building we see today, though, is essentially medieval, with major work from the late 13th century (chancel), early 15th (tower and south porch) and mid-16th (nave), with some Georgian and Victorian alterations.

The church’s size and prominence stem from its status as a College of Canons, founded by Archbishop Peckham in 1286 (The fine timber-framed buildings opposite the church were originally canons’ houses.) By Elizabethan times the building was in poor repair; in consequence, the old north aisle was pulled down and the south aisle rebuilt. The story goes that money collected for restoration by George Ffogarde, a Canterbury brewer, was embezzled - hence pillars made of chestnut rather than the traditional stone.

Some fine monuments embellish the church, including one in the north chapel, now the vestry, to Sir Thomas Palmer (1624) and the remarkable Oxenden memorial (1682) in the form of a highly decorated obelisk. In the chancel, misericords with interesting wood-carvings survive from the early 14th century. Far plainer, but much more modern, is a plaque to General Miller, the Wingham-born hero of Peru's struggle for independence from Spain.