St Thomas Church - Harty - Kent - UK
Posted by: 
dave-harris
N 51° 21.578 E 000° 54.265
31U E 354100 N 5691902
This church dates back 920 years, although traces of Anglo Saxon Remains have been found here
Waymark Code: WMJEAY
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 11/07/2013
Views: 3
Harty is a very small holding on the Isle of Harty which is part of the Isle of Sheppy. The Isle of harty was once that, a small island surrounded by water. But deposits over the years have joined the land masses together. Most people call this place the Isle of Sheppy.
The origins of this church, which even today in the 21st century has no running water, electricity or gas, date back to Anglo Saxon times. With extensions added over the years. The external materials of the church are mostly Kentish ragstone, which would have been brought here by boat from quarries on the River Medway at Allington.
The North-east corner of the church contains quantities of septaria, which is not a stone but nodules of clay within calcareous deposits. This light brown material, which now shows signs of crumbling into small cubes, used to be gathered off the foreshores of Sheppey. In its natural state it was a hard material, capable of being sawn into building blocks When burnt with coal it produced a clinker which was patented in 1797 as Roman Cement. Capable of setting under water it was widely used as a mortar before the invention of Portland cement.
The church comprises a Nave, Chancel, North Aisle, Porch, North Chapel, and a Lady Chapel on the South side. The early Norman church incorporated a round-headed Chancel arch and three round-headed windows. Shortly after 1200 when the North Aisle was constructed, openings were cut into the original North wall to form a two arched arcade with piers.
In common with many small Kent churches Harty is towerless but has a bellcote at the West end It has one bell, 26 1/2 inches marked "Lester & Peck of London Fecit 1760.”
The lady Chapel contains a finely sculpted oak muniment chest said to date from the 14th century. The carving depicts two knights in a friendly joustmg tournament with their attendant squires and an onlooker on each side in a tower. Nobody knows how the chest came into Harty's possession - legend claims it Was found floating in the Swale.
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