Church of the Week
Staplehurst, Kent
Staplehurst All Saints is affectionally known as ‘the church on the hill’. While it dates back to 1100-1150, it actually has a beautiful feature that predates the entire building: its South Door. The door has been authoritatively dated back to 1050, which means that it displays some of the oldest ironwork in England still in situ. It is adorned with a rare example of Saxon pre-Christian figurative mythology telling the story of Ragnarök, the Norse day of Judgement. The Grade I Listed church recently underwent major repairs, supported by the National Churches Trust, to fix its damaged tower. A key motivation for the church in making repairs was so that the many groups that meet there could continue to use the space and that they could also still open the church 365 days a year to welcome visitors from near and far.
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