all about All Saints and St Christopher's Churches
St Christopher's church sits by the A251 Faversham Road at the apex of the village green. It was once a hall house and still retains many period features. It became the village school, but after the second world war was used for worship when All Saints was declared unsafe. Nowadays it is the focus for Sunday worship from October to May.
All Saints is the parish church of Boughton Aluph and Eastwell, a village on the northern outskirts of Ashford in Kent. The parish has three churches in all: All Saints in Church Lane just off the A28 Ashford to Canterbury road, St Christopher's by the Village Green at Boughton Lees (A251) and the ruined St Mary's by the lake in Eastwell Park. We are part of the United Wye Benefice, a grouping of ten churches including Wye, Hinxhill and Brook "down the hill" and the "upon the hills" group of Hastingleigh, Elmsted, Waltham, Petham, Upper Hardres and Stelling Minnis in the Kentish Downs. All Saints is used for regular worship from May to early October save for the last two weekends in June, and St Christopher's at other times. Services take place at 9.30am each Sunday: Morning Prayer on the first and third Sundays, and Holy Communion on the second and fourth. On fifth Sundays there is a shared benefice service at one of the ten churches. Details are posted weekly on the home page.
The church sits on the Winchester to Canterbury Pilgrims' Way and has been visited by groups of pilgrims from medieval times to the present day. It boasts some fine architecture and a possibly unique pilgrims' porch with tudor fireplace, and not surprisingly is listed Grade 1 (more detail here). However, it was almost destroyed by a stray fire bomb in the last war and the forced sale of the bells and pews to finance urgent restoration work has resulted in a large flexible space that is used - in more normal times - for many different functions, the most important of which being the annual Stour Music Festival, the Five Church Walk and, until recently, the Wye Charity Ball in support of local charities. More and more it is also being used as a magical spot for wedding receptions (eg meal and disco) after the wedding ceremony. See pics in the Gallery on the Bookings page here.
All Saints is open to the public on practically all weekends from May to September. At other times you may be able to request a key from Mrs Rita Hawes on 01233 627117. For some views of the interior see below, and for a "guided tour" click here.
CHURCHWARDENS' SEPTEMBER MAGAZINE NOTES
September: not easy to think ahead at present. Grass has dried up, crops are disappointing and gardeners have lost precious plants as the temperatures have risen and water is in short supply.
We shall be worshipping at All Saints for the whole of the month. The church has remained beautifully cool and many passing walkers have been grateful to sit under the yew tree. Plans for Services were made some months ago.
Our Harvest Festival Service on Sunday September 27th will be led by Kevin Rall and will start at the later time of 10.30am. As in previous years we shall be collecting tinned or packaged food which will be delivered to food banks in Ashford. Please encourage neighbours and friends to join us for a very traditional Service.
Following the Service we shall have our communal Harvest Lunch where we invite the Benefice clergy, lay readers and others who have regularly helped us during the year, to join us. Why not come along? It's a bring and share lunch, and one of us can help if you're not sure what to provide.
That Sunday may well be the last Service at All Saints before our autumn migration to St Christopher’s. Hard to think about heating at present but we are grateful to have it at St Christopher’s when the days get chilly!
St Christopher’s as our Sanctuary Church has been busy with a steady flow of pilgrims staying overnight. The idea of pilgrimage has really gained in popularity and we are very happy to be of assistance.
Lastly an important Fund-raising event: The BIG SOUND COLLECTIVE pay a welcome return to All Saints’ on Friday September 11 for a big and noisy bash. Come and join us: it’s free entry and you get a complimentary drink in the interval. All we ask is a donation towards church and band costs as you leave. See the flyer on the home page.
Catherine Wear-Davis (07740 702377) and Rita Hawes (01233 627117)
Churchwardens
The Hardy Room at St Christopher's
Saint Christopher's church
Some views inside All Saints
and here's the All Saints' Church stamp for those of you with a Pilgrim's Passport
And finally a view of St Christopher's when it was still a school (date?). The teachers and children are outside and you can just see the headmistress' cottage chimney behind. The porch was later extended to provide a vestry and a new porch added to the other door.
The photo below, taken by a Mr De'Arth of Ashford shows the children and teachers, but where are they? Is the wall behind a section of the Eastwell Park wall? Or are they in what are now allotments behind St Christopher's?
