Holy Family
Gravesend, Kent
An ancient site for Christian worship, perhaps since Saxon times. Chaucer’s pilgrims would have passed here.
The church is of Norman two cell form. It is mentioned in the Textus Roffensis c1115 (now on view in Rochester Cathedral). The current building, at approximately 50’ long and 20’ wide one of the smallest in the Diocese. The record of rectors begins in 1227. It is listed Grade II.
The church was ‘re-edified’ (altered) in 1596, and had major restorations in 1796 and 1838. The furnishings all date from the 19th century. A modern stone porch on the south side was built in 1952 to replace a wooden one which burnt down.
The church is situated to the south of the A2, cutting it off from the majority of the parish. It is reached by an unlit country road. The nearest neighbours on the other three sides are farmers’ fields. Ifield is a hamlet which consists of no more than 12 houses.
There is a well kept churchyard. The most significant and largest memorial is to the Colyer-Fergusson family. Outside the church boundary, by the road, is a small war memorial in front of a large stone cross.
The church seats 60-70 people, on pews. The gallery is accessed by wooden stairs and contains a working organ. The oak altar is fixed to the east wall. There are pulpit (part of an old three decker) and lectern, but no choir stalls. A vestry was added to the north of the chancel in 1952 and completely rebuilt in 2001 to include a kitchen and a toilet. The 19th century stone font is situated opposite the south entrance door.
There are four stained glass windows dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, the largest of which is at the east end, and eight gravestones in the nave and chancel floor. A small war memorial and book of remembrance is kept at the west end of the church.
Today’s congregation meets each Sunday and spearheads Gravesend’s Christians Against Poverty Debt Centre. We are a small friendly group of people, all local, who love to worship in this beautiful and ancient Church. We try to be welcoming and to get to know you if you're a visitor, everyone's story is so interesting. We don't do formality or stand on ceremony, when things go wrong (not infrequently!) we can laugh about it. God gives joy, doesn't He?