Paglesham

At the far end of a long lane, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, lies St Peter and I was amazed and pleasantly surprised to find it open. Admittedly not the best interior it does contain two oddities - in the tower arch are the great west doors of Westminster Abbey, removed in 1967 and set here by the Misses A & K Jennings in memory of their father, Rev CB Jennings; also reset in the east nave and chancel floor are several C18th headstones which I initially mistook for ledger stones.

ST PETER. Nave and chancel are Norman. On the N side three original windows remain, though they are much restored. The W tower was added in the C15, with diagonal buttresses, a three-light W window with Perp panel tracery, and battlements. - CHAIRS. Two, late C17, thickly carved. - PLATE. Cup with bands of ornament and Cover, both of 1568.

PAGLESHAM. The 17th century inn and its old cottage neighbours lie near the mouth of the River Roche, but the church and its cottages, some of them all wood, stand away in a row looking across the fields to the far horizon. The church has Roman bricks set in Norman walls, but most of the church was made new in the 15th century. The tower is 16th. It is remarkable that all the doors have been opening and shutting since the church was new, still on the same strap-hinges. The oldest bell first rang in Armada year. The work of a Norman craftsman remains in the chancel, on a scalloped capital shaped into a bowl in medieval days for use as a piscina; and there are two elaborately carved chairs of the 17th century in the sanctuary.

Flickr.