St Andrew's Church, Barming Heath, Kent

St Andrew's Church, Barming Heath Church

Image Source: Rob Baker

This is a 20th century church based in a former Victorian school building dating from 1856 when a plot of land was granted to Reverend George Davey of St. Peter's Church, Maidstone, to build a school for "poor persons to be taught in the principles of the Established Church." In 1907 the construction of new schools in the locality resulted in the building becoming known as the Heath Mission Church. The original Victorian school building is still in situ, adjoining the present worship area that was built a couple of decades later. It is now used as the church hall and is accessed from the nave via a pair of modern partition doors. In 1925, when the area was being built up with new housing development, the Heath Mission became a parish church in its own right, dedicated to St. Andrew. Having now been in ecclesiastical use for over a century it still retains a delightful Mission Hall atmosphere. It still retains its original wooden benches from the Heath Mission era. The church was reordered in 1958 when the nave and chancel were reversed, and a new font placed close to the new entrance. Prior to then, the altar was at the Tonbridge Road end of the hall. It was moved to the opposite end with the original entrance porch being converted into a sacristy in 1964. The new chancel was enhanced in 1963 when a stained-glass window was added behind the altar. It came from All Saints Church in Harnham, near Salisbury in Wiltshire. The window behind the original altar - now at the entrance end, has been furnished with some stained-glass panelling that was created by a former Vicar, Keith Chare. While serving as the incumbent, he learned the art of stained-glass making. The result is obviously quite homespun, but considering he was a beginner to this craft, it really isn't too bad! In 2002 two War Memorial plaques to ex servicemen were installed in the church. These were originally housed in the former St. Saviour's chapel of the Barming Mental Hospital that is just over the road, but had been discarded and dumped when the chapel was converted into housing. They were actually thrown into a ditch in Teynham, near Sittingbourne, around 20 miles away. A fortuitous phonecall led to them being recovered, restored and eventually reinstalled in the closest parish church to where they were originally displayed. The organ, made by Compton, arrived at the church in 1996. It came from the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist at Harrietsham, where it was too small for them. St. Andrew's purchased it for £7,000 plus VAT. Two modern looking paintings hang either side of the chancel, close to the altar rails. These date from the 1960s and were painted by Peter Milton, a former churchwarden. Text by Rob Baker 2021

1851 Census Details

Seating Capacity: not built

Morning Attendance: Not

Afternoon Attendance: not built

Evening Attendance: not built

Architecture Details

Original Build Date/Architect: Mission Church

Restoration:

Second Restoration:

Notes

Website

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