St. JOHN THE BAPTIST CHURCH, HARRIETSHAM
Harrietsham comes from old english 'hamm' meaning 'land hemmed in by water or a marsh' combined with a warlord's name;therefore, 'Heregeards's hemmed-in land. The Doomsday Book records Harrietsham as Hariardesham.
Harrietsham parish church is a Grade 1 Listed Building, dedicated to St. John the Baptist.The Normans commenced buiding it towards the end of the 11th Century with additions and alterations in the following 300 years, constructing an additional two stage west tower late in the 14th Century - after 1479. The Norman font is one of the finest examples in west Kent. In 1742 Robert Bottle hung a ring of eight bells cast by Thomas Lester. In 1798 Edward Hasted described the church as a "handsome building, consisting of three aisles and three chancels, with a square tower at the west end". The Victorians extended and restored it in the 19th Century.
I have a family connection with this church. My parents were married her in 1952. My maternal grandparents, aunt and uncle, and my mother have their resting places in the graveyard.
The published coordinates take you to the church's lych gate. Within is a plaque from which the following final coordinates can be ascertained. Using numbers only, read from left to right. November A B C D E F
N 51 A(Cx2).([Cx3]+A)(A+C)F
E 000 (Cx2)A.DE(Cx3)
Check sum 32
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