Church of England in rural Kent: visitors to St Michael's Church Smarden

Welcome to St Michael the Archangel's Church Smarden, in the diocese of Canterbury.

Location: Cage Lane, Smarden, Kent TN27 8QD.

The church is open to visitors from 9am till 5pm all year round, in addition to the Friday 10am eucharist and Sunday services.

The origin of the church's foundation is unknown. Though the list of rectors goes back to 1205, we have no information what type of church was on this site until early in the 1300s. The main structure was erected between 1325 and 1350 of local stone, including Kentish ragstone and Bethersden marble. The tower dates from the late 1400s.

The wall paintings on the east wall either side of the chancel date from the early 20th century. Many of the walls would have had medieval wall paintings, used as visual aids for those who could not read. They were removed or overpainted during the Reformation.

The rood-loft stairs, still in excellent condition, would once have led to the top of a rood screen that separated worshippers from the clergy, above which candles were lit before carved figures of saints. Medieval screens were destroyed across the country during the 16th century when the country was convulsed by religious dissent and persecution. Smarden's rood screen, erected in 1508, was whitewashed over in 1548, then taken down, re-erected in 1555 and finally removed in 1560. Parts of it remained in place until 1869.

Contributing to the special atmosphere of this church is its uniquely wide nave, which has earned it the title of 'the Barn of Kent'. The roofing challenge presented by the width of the nave is solved with an uncommon design of intersecting timbers, called 'scissor-beam'. This is used on a smaller scale in the chancel.

The vestry and adjoining boiler house were once one room which was added on in 1814 to make a school.

Today, Sunday-school children use the open area at the back of the church where stands a rocking horse, given to them in memory of Daisy May Stevenson.