Kingsdown Church

Continuing the spritual theme at this time of the year....Kingsdown church was built in 1850 when the village had grown to a size that was able to support its own building - previously there would have been a walk of a couple of miles inland to Ringwould or along the coast to Walmer.

The cost of building the church (and the rectory and village school nearby) was borne by William Curling, commemorated in the plaque above. Curling was a shipowner, and lived at Kingsdown House across the road from the church.

Ferns growing in the shade behind the church.

The main building material is Kentish ragstone, possibly from the quarries south of Maidstone, bringing a new habitat to the area, to be exploited by lichens which also benefit from the pollution-free sea air.
A project for the future could be to compare the lichens on the two churches of Ringwould and Kingsdown, with their very different ages and materials.

The lichen on this stone (one of the many Binghams) is known to me as 'rust', but presumaby has a more scientific name. Goodness knows where the bracken came from - perhaps imported with soil on the roots of a decorative plant?