Standing high above the main road on its grassy knoll this little church looks as if it should belong to an urban crossroads. Built in the mid 1850s by local wealthy benefactors it has seen many changes but contains much of interest. The delicately carved capitals are very much of their date – compared to the serious work of a decade later and the way the west door steps up into the great west window is more curious than beautiful. Though the church has lost most of its 19th century decorative scheme the glass is of great interest. Windows by Powell’s are signed with their Whitefriar mark and mostly depict water-related themes. L C Evetts, best known in the north of England, was responsible for the angular glass in the west wall, and there are more conventional windows by Westlake. However the stunner is to be found in the north aisle – a rare and delightful Arts and Crafts interpretation of the Presentation in the Temple by Caroline Townsend (her only Kent window).
