Saturday 9th September 2023

I should have woken up this morning at the Radisson Blu in Arhus, but due to "reasons", that got cancelled, which meant I was home for Heritage Weekend, which as you can imagine, I was very upset about.

The day was to be a mix of the familiar and new, with revisits to some I had not been to in a decade.

It is hotter than ever, and now added to which is a haze caused by the sand blown up from the Sahara, which makes to look and feel like there are wildfires burning nearby. Anything more than a mile away is lost in a brown haze, and there being no wind to blow it away.

We went to Tesco, obviously, did some gathering and pushing the week and feeble out of the way, then rushed to pay and leave. Getting back home to have breakfast and be all tidied away for just gone nine when we left for a hard day's chuchcrawling.

Avoiding the port is obvious, even if the traffic radar said it was delay free, best not to take a risk in getting caught up in traffic that can last for days.

And traffic was heavy on the road to Folkestone and the motorway, but we soo turned off onto the A20 to Lypmne, turning right to Aldington.

St Martin sits next to a large and busy farm, though its tower does just that, and is visible for miles, and is a waymarker when travelling between Folkestone and Ashford.

The church is rarely open, at least for casual visitors, so this was a chance to redo shots taken eight years ago.

This was the first of 907 shots taken through the day, and most of which you will be seeing in the next few weeks as I edit and post them.

So, after going round and getting dozens of shots, we walk back to the car through the churchyard, all gold and green as the seasons think about changing.

We retrace our steps to the main road, then back east to Lympne, past the animal park and along the narrow main street to the entrance to the castle, where the church sits beside, perched on the edge of the down, overlooking the Romney Marsh.

Don't park here, or here, said the signs, so I left the car in the castle car park, hoping it wouldn't get clamped, then walk to the lychgate and to the church, a huge barn of a place made much bigger when the additional west nave, if that's the right word, was added.

There's a spiral staircase leading to the bellringing platform in the tower, other than that, its a fine, tidy and a church full of interest.

I bid the wardens farewell, as we walk back to the car and then drive the short distance back to the A20, turning west to pass under the motorway that now bisects the village of Sellindge, going past the two new huge housing developments which have sprung up since I was last here, and right on the edge of the village is St Mary.

St Mary is rarely open, I had tried a few weeks back, battling traffic each way to find it locked.

But it was taking part in Ride and Stride, so I had high hoped.

Highlight is the art deco painted screen at the west end partioning the vestry from the Nave. But my last visit I only took 29 shots, I would try to snap more details, especially in the windows.

Back onto the motorway and a quick blast past the Channel Tunnel entrance, turning off and doubling back past Froghalt to Newington, a church I had been to twice in the last month hoping it would be open.

But wasn't.

The warden told me she was just leaving as she had a plasterer coming round to her house.

Bish, bash bosh.

But told me to help myself to juice or coffee, tea or cakes.

I passed.

Not much I had missed on previous visits, but I snapped details of the windows as before.

In and out in under ten minutes.

Back to Dover then, for a quick stop at St Edmund's Chapel, I last visited about a decade ago.

It is the only English Church dedicated to one English saint consecrated by a different English saint.

It is a small stone building, that during the 20th century was a smithy and a tool store before being restored to how we see it today.

Such chapels were once quite common, but St Edmunds is one of the few that remain. Quite a few visitors were there, thanks to the half dozen volunteers outside handing out badges, and the large amount of colourful bunting.

Off then to the area of town called Charlton. Hidden away is a large Victorian parish church, visible really is just the east wall of the Chancel from the main road, but the Ride and Stride webpage did say it would be open, so we went to look.

And it was indeed open, and inside we received a warm welcome.

The church is on a grand scale, seats 700 easily, and has a fine collection of period stained glass which cast the cool interior win a rainbow of colours.

I dropped Jools back home as the day was now so unbearably hot and humid, I stopped for a pint of cold squash and a snack of picnic sized pork pies, and then back out into the furnace to Ripple which again should be open.

I was greeted with a huge swarm of newly emerged Ivy Bees that were feeding on the vegetation of the churchyard, and in doing alarming the two ladies inside the church who feared of being stung. I told them not to worry and their worries were indeed eased.

Not much I had missed before, but again details in the windows and wall carvings were recorded before I stepped back outside and pondered how to avoid the roadworks on the main road into Deal.

Instead of doubling back to the main road, I carried on along narrow and winding lanes until I saw signs for Great Mongeham, which I knew was very near to St Leonard in Deal, where is where I wanted to, but I had missed out on the other two churches in Walmer, but I could sort that out after visiting St Leonard.

After finding a place to park, I walked in and was greeted by three wardens in the porch, and although they didn't mind me taking shots, the gentleman did watch over me the whole time I was there.

St Leonard is a huge and sprawling church, the ancinet church greatly enlarged by a new Nave doubling, if not tripling the width of the church, and with a gallery too. As benefitting a church with a strong link to the Royal Navy, the walls are covered in memorials to various Naval officers and their wives, large number of hatchings too.

I had snapped it with wide angle lens before, so again concentrated on the details. Of which there were many.

I walked back outside, and the heat struck like walking into an oven. I checked the list and struck a couple off the list, and so next up was the last new church, at least for interior shots: Sacred Heart, Walmer.

Sacred Heart stands beside the main road, its tower straddles the footpath beside the road. A set of steps lead to the church itself, and I have never seen it open.

But it was due to be.

So, I parked round the corner, walked tot he main road, under the tower and up the steps, where six wardens were waiting, and I had my own guide to show me round.

The church is all that is left of a larger convent complex, that could have been even larger had the money not run out. The rest was demolished in 1982, and the church is all that is left.

And even what's left is a shadow of what it used to be, with the Pugin Altar not put back in due to damp, and at the west end, the gallery taken down and what was left, simplified.

Another warm welcome here too, and as always, very thankful to all who volunteer to make Ride and Stride and the Heritage Weekend possible.

I drove back to Dover, then turned inland to go along the A2 before turning off at Bridge, then turning again to follow our old friend, The Nailbourne. Its bone dry now, of course, but a few years back I tried to revisit every church along its length, and failed to see inside Patrixbourne and neighbouring Bekesbourne.

I parked the car hard against the low flint wall, there's nowhere else in the village, and walked to the famous south door, it's tympanum above me, and found the church manned by a single warden who seemed glad to have the company.

She told me that she had been told that the "wheel window" at here at Barfestone, had been removed from Canterbury Cathedral and put in the two churches, if so, this was the first I have heard of it, which would make sense here at Patrixbourne, but less so at Barfrestone where the window fits so well with the rest of the church.

This time, in using the big lens, I saw the east window too was filled with 16th century Flemish glass, and fine panels too.

I snapped them all.

Just one more church now, and this would mean a bit of a walk. Up hill.

And so, finally, to Bekesbourne. I know the area so well, I ignored the signs and took the Old Palace Road, which criss-crosses the dry bed of the Nailbourne, until at the second fording place, I pull in, and on the right is the name board for the church.

St Peter is unusual in that you have to walk through what is a private garden to get to the church, I am pretty sure its a right of way, and there is a well-maintained path to walk up the gentle slope.

I thought I had been sitting around driving all day, but the phone told me I was nearing 13,000 steps for the day, and these next few hundred would be upwards, not steep, but at half three, the hottest part of the day. In Bridge the car informed me it was 28.5 degrees C.

Hot in anyone's money.

The slope increases leading to the lychgate, and then steps to the porch, where I could see the door ajar and a couple looked out, smiling, in that they had a visitor.

I took shots, in truth little to get excited about, let alone to get the big lens out, but I snap details and chat with the couple about life in the village and they old keyholder had moved away.

And that was it, done. Instead of going via the A2, I carried on to Littlebourne, but apparently met a wedding party dressed in suits and frocks, all driving 4x4s, heading to some location I guess for a reception. Traffic to the main road was jammed both ways as oversized cars tried to pass each other on the narrow street.

I got out, turned towards Sandwich with the idea of going to St Thomas's Chapel, but talked myself out of it, instead driving straight home, have a beer and be ready for the international football at 5, where England would take on Ukraine.

A dull game ended 1-1, and that's about all I can say. The rest of the evening was spent reviewing shots from the day.