St Nicholas - Barfrestone
Described by many as a hidden gem of a church, St Nicholas Church is nestled amid the green lanes and wooded countryside around Barfrestone, a village to some, probably described as a hamlet by most. St Nicholas Church was founded around 1180 by Adam de Port, the local Baron who lived in Dover Castle and stands on a route well travelled by countless medieval pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.
A complete two cell Norman church with lower walls constructed of flint rubble, with it's upper courses of dressed imported Caen stone. Kent had no local stone capable of being carved so exquisitely, so the importation of Caen stone by the de Port family was simply a 12th century display of wealth. The south door is an exquisite masterpiece of Norman sculpture. The tympanum and arches of the south door contain what can easily be described, without fear of contradiction, as some of the finest Norman carvings in Britain. A figure of Christ stands at the centre of the tympanum, with two mermaids, a griffin and a sphinx at Christ's feet. The door frame is composed of three bands of carving, representing all manner of religious symbols, mythical birds and beasties, signs of the zodiac and medieval scenes. A frieze of carved human and animal heads runs around three sides of the church. The north door is also beautifully carved, with a pair of grotesque heads facing each other across the door opening. The east end of the church has a large 'spoke' wheel window with still more carvings set in niches in the wall. The interior is no less interesting, with a wonderful carved Norman string course in the nave and chancel, with a Norman dog tooth designs and yet more carved figures of animals and humans. You may wish to attempt tabsandbex excellent GCQHX8 Maddy's Woodland Walk cache nearby.
From the parking co-ords carefully walk up the lane to the church. Cache is a 35mm pot - BYOP - hidden outside the churchyard.
If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you let Sadexploration know first so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication
To view the church micro stats page, please click here
HEADS UP!
Did you sign the logbook? The game requires that you SIGN the physical logbook in this geopot BEFORE you may claim a FIND. Please, play nicely. If you did not SIGN - you did not FIND - so don't CLAIM it - simples.
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