St Paul's Church, Sandgate
This one was a little curveball to be honest. We were in the area and felt a little churchy so we visited, but it was never the plan. Obviously we try and plan our adventures ahead to make life easier and give us time to write and research, but we were rained off of our original planned adventure.
Having a very wet stroll around this church however was soothing. It was quiet, isolated despite being on the main road, but it was comfortable.
In 1822 the Earl of Darnley arranged for a church to be built on this site due to the increasing popularity of visitors to Folkestone at his own expense. It was rebuilt in 1849 to enlarge it due to the number of people the new railway was bringing and this then happened a second time in the 20th century.
As you see it to this day the church is built with yellow stock brick and sandstone dressings. It is atop is steep yet small slope and red bricks are used to outline the heads of the windows. In its second form the church had a wide gallery but this was removed in the 20th century, however the Victorian era nave seating scheme remains pretty much intact with the addition of the 20th century stalls. Even the Victorian stained glass windows remain at the site, mixed with those from the 20th century, so the church has a mix of eras, but none quite as far back as the Norman period like we usually see with churches we visit. This one is a little special in terms of church architecture enthusiasts (this was one of Ren's interests when obtaining her Art History diploma), as it is an example of the Gothic Revival movement within the Victorian era. Architects within the 1840s had started to abandon the Medieval structures they were fond of for a newer take on more Gothic architecture and this church is a prime example of how we started to move forward from Ragstone and the drab and embraced polychrome.
The church itself isn't in your face. It is subtle with little graves hugging the church walls for memorials and ashes laid to rest here, but no official churchyard. You can walk around it in minutes and it joins the larger Enbrook Park if you wanted to have a little dog walk or general walk about. This park has a nice walk which spans about a mile if you wanted an easier trek and it leads to the highstreet and war memorial if you wanted to see the sites. Tucked away on its slope you forget it is here, it isn't your typical chocolate box type of village church, its architecture is perhaps a little boring unless you know what your looking for and it doesnt stand out, but it is familiar to us and that is all that matters. We haven't seen inside but we know it would be comfortable and warm.
Haunted? We don't get that vibe here. It is peaceful and as serene as it can be with the traffic just below, but there doesn't seem to be anything around to give you chills, there is no reason for spirits to be trapped here or nearby. It is just a nice spot to visit on a walk around the park, no more no less.
DISCLAIMER: Now for the official bit. This blog does not receive any paid promotions from the places mentioned above. We have not been approached to promote or act as spokespersons for any attraction mentioned within this post and this is simply a post intended to act as a day in the life of a couple on a cute date. All photos included are taken by ourselves and as such the rights for these images our ours, no links, brands, or companies mentioned otherwise belong or are associated with Phantom Adventures UK. We are responsible only for this blog. Opinions are our own and not influenced by any third party source..
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