St Mary's, a 13th to 15th century church on the outskirts of Teynham.
"St Mary’s, Teynham, has long been known as a church of early foundation, being recorded as one of Kent’s pre-Conquest ‘minster’ churches. Although the present building survives as a predominantly 13th to 15th-century structure, recent archaeological investigations have brought to light the existence of fabric much earlier in date. Thus, a re-interpretation of the development of the church can be proposed, which serves to link the current structure and its historical past with greater coherence.
St Mary’s church lies approximately 1.2 miles to the north-east of the village of Teynham. The building stands on raised ground on what was formerly the western bank of the River Lynn. Immediately to the south lie the buried remains of the gatehouse and ancillary buildings of the 13th-century Archbishop’s Palace complex, with the palace and its associated buildings themselves located further north-west, adjacent to Teynham Street.
The church is of cruciform plan and consists of a western tower and flanking vestries, followed by the nave, aisles and transepts to the north and south, and the chancel to the east. Much of the exterior dates to the 13th century, but includes both earlier and later building phases. A range of building materials have been used in the construction of the church from a number of periods; these include flint nodules, Reigate stone, Kentish Marble, Caen stone, Kentish Ragstone, pebbles, tufa and, interestingly, Roman brick and tile. This is particularly noteworthy in the east wall of the north transept and its junction with the chancel."
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The church is part of the Kingsdown & Creekside Parish, a group of 7 parishes - Lynsted-with-Kingsdown , Norton, Doddington w/ Wychling, Newnham, Teynham, Oare and Luddenham.