Monday 11th May 2026

I began what I rather grandly call the "Kent Church Project" in July 2009 when we visited Postling.

Since then I have visited nearly 400 churches of various denominations and other religious buildings in the county, and so now it is the urban churches, and those in west Kent.

Or hard to get into and urban churches mostly in west Kent.

I did visit Tonbridge before Christmas 2024, but the parish church was locked, although I did a fine Victorian one near the station. So, being a man of leisure now, I thought I would arrange a visit.

I chose Monday as the weather was going to be poor, but on the day it dawned clear and would be sunny, though cool at first.

I could lay in, but my brain had me awake at half five, but lay in bed as Cleo snuggled up and I enjoyed her movement as she washed and made a next in the duvet.

Up, and what I thought would be a lazy morning, and was, until Jools pointed out that my train was in forty minutes, she wasn't dressed and I was only halfway through breakfast.

Panic!

We were out in ten minutes, and Jools drove me through the rush hour traffic to Dover Priory, I bought my ticket and had ten minutes to wait before the train came in.

A direct train to Tonbridge, so I could settle into a seat on the left as usual, and enjoy the hour and twenty minute ride through Kent, passing by Marden Meadow on the way, where the colour of the army of orchids could be seen from the speeding train.

I got off, walked up to street level, turned left and walked up the High Street.

Last time I was here my back hurt so much I took three or four goes at walking up it with breaks taken on seats as I walked up. Not this time, just up the street, no pain, just looking for a barbers that had no queue.

I found one next to the Old Chequers pub, and was shown into the chair, and I was shorn in twenty minutes, thus once done, the church would be open for visitors. I hoped.

I explored the back streets near the castle and fund a former Fire Station, now a café, so I went in and had a cuppa and their last cookie. Was good. Lots of clapboard houses in the area, and some with peg tiles too.

I took pictures.

A two minute walk, then dash across the busy road, down Church Lane, where I could see the west door open, and the warm lights inside.

Ss. Peter and Paul is a large and handsome building, and has history, or the site has, back to Saxon times. The current church dates back to the late 11th century, but the Victorians were busy here.

The church seems to have neew flooring leading to the Chancel, and to the south of the arch there is the equipment for a band including drums set up ready for use.

Not one for the traditionalists.

There is also a projection screen above the instruments too, with a projector towards the north east corner. Most glass is clear, with two exceptions. One in the north wall of the Chancel has some Victorian glass in the upper tracery, but in the large east window is a fine modern window of Christ in Majesty surrounded by angels.

On the exterior walls there are monuments dating back to the 17th century, and in the porch, a fine monument to Lady Philadelphia Lyttleton, who died while accompanying Queen Catherine on a visit to Tunbridge Wells in 1663.

There is a fine, if dark Royal coat of arms on a balcony on the west end of the Nave, with two hatchings, one on each side.

The church was busy, as the Tonbridge School south chapel has been turned into church centre and was hosting a Mother and toddlers group, or something similar.

Overall, its a church that hides it treasures well, among the modern embellishments. Clearly the parish church of a town that was monied, as its size and decoration showed.

I received a warm welcome, and the Chancel lights were switched on for me.

I leave the church and walk back down the high street. I had forty minutes to kill, so against my better judgement I went into a 'Spoons and ordered a pint of Sussex mild. But when it came it was clearly a weak IPA, it was so poor I couldn't be bothered to complain, so after drinking half of it, I leave and walk to the station to wait on platform 3.

The train came on, and despite there being dozens of schoolkids getting on, there was room for all, so I sat on the right hand side so I could see Marden Meadow when we went past.

Back in Dover for one. Jools was waiting, so she took us home and once inside, I cook lunch.

And so to the afternoon where we had the task of selecting a route through France to Val d'Isère where we are to meet up with an orchid tour, then south to Spain for the eclipse on August 12th.

We pick towns or cities, and find cheap places to stay on the edge of two, giving us ten days or so to get to Val d'Isère then just over a week to get to Spain.

Route agreed and hotels booked.

It is done.

We'll be screwed if there's a fuel shortage, of course, but we shall see.

Dinner was breaded chicken, buttered new potatoes and asparagus. Springlike and good.

There was football in the evening: Spurs v Leeds, and a Spurs win could have put West Ham on the brink of relegation, but it ended 1-1, so still all in the balance.