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Way out in open fields, with no churchyard of its own, in a parish of marsh, ditches, sheep and cattle, stands the church of St. Thomas Becket. On occasions when the surrounding Romney Marsh floods, the church has appeared to float above the waters. Even high and dry, its location is mesmerizing. It is hard to recall any other church so utterly unadorned with trees.

1/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - out in the fields
St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - out in the fields

Equip yourself with the weighty key that hangs by the back door of the nearest house, and make your way across the fields. Solid foot bridges reassuringly span the deep ditches that need to be crossed to reach this diminutive island church.

Outside, everything - apart from weatherboarded bell tower and tile-hung gables - is lichen-covered blue and red brick. The mismatch between the materials used in the building’s construction and its profile is explained the moment you open the heavy oak door and step inside. It is neither as modern as the brick suggests nor wealthy enough to have been worked in stone. Exposed timbers and lime-rendered half-timbering is from another age, like a tidy rendition of something from the thirteenth century. Step forward from the porch into the nave and time shifts again, this time forward to the Georgian period of white box pews and a triple-deck pulpit - congregation, clergy and minister. Hierarchy maintained even in this, the simplest of places.

2/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - a footbridge away

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - a footbridge away

3/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - through the porch to water

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - through the porch to water

4/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - water and the flock outside

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - water and the flock outside

5/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - the font

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - the font

6/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - towards the altar

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - towards the altar

7/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - the altar and the pulpit

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - the altar and the pulpit

8/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - the nave and chancel

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - the nave and chancel

9/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - brick wrapped around original timbers

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - brick wrapped around original timbers

10/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - a seven-sided font

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - a seven-sided font

11/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - chancel, nave and roof timbers - with 18th century textboards

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - chancel, nave and roof timbers - with 18th century textboards

12/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - textboard

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - textboard

13/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - roof timbers

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - roof timbers

14/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - tile-hung gables

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - tile-hung gables

15/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - lock and key

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - lock and key

16/16 St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - key to be collected from nearby house

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - key to be collected from nearby house

The building’s environment has necessitated more restoration and repair than most. A timeline here summarises the key events:

  • 1162 - 1170

    Legend has it that Thomas à Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, journeying across the Romney Marshes, fell into one of the marsh’s many ditches and prayed to St. Thomas for rescue. A passing farmer saved him and the Archbishop had the church built by way of gratitude.

  • c. 1200

    A simple timber and lathe construction was built, probably rendered with plaster either/both internally and externally.

  • 1430

    Two of the three bells were cast in London.

  • Early 1700s

    Re-building of the south wall.

  • c. 1750

    Chancel re-built.

  • Late 1700s

    Porch added.

  • c. 1800

    West and north wall re-built.

  • 1801

    Census return for the parish of Fairfield shows a population of 34.

  • 1804

    One of nine oval textboards in the nave is dated 1804.

  • 1912 - 1913

    The entire chancel, the nave’s north wall, the porch, turret and roof coverings were taken down. Foundations were made secure, and the whole re-built, re-using as many of the original materials as was possible.

  • 1931

    Census return for the parish of Fairfield shows a population of 61.

  • 1960

    A photograph hanging in the church shows the building and the footbridges just above the waterline of a high flood.

St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - surrounded by floodwaters, 1960
St. Thomas Becket, Fairfield, Kent - surrounded by floodwaters, 1960, a photograph hanging in the church

For someone who has lived inside old, timbered French buildings for twenty or so years, the inside of the Church of St. Thomas Becket has a very familiar feel. The presence of dowel pegs holding together mortises and tenons, braces and lime-render infill has an immediately recognisable appearance - even though some of this here is of work done in 1912 - 13. Some of the more substantial timbers are the original ones, dating back to the 13th century. Interesting to ponder on how both countries at this time shared not only similar building skills, but perhaps also an understanding of the different varieties of French that both groups of artisans may have been using whilst plying their trade. One misses the carpenters’ marks that were in wide use throughout (different page, this website).

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