Saturday 26 April 2014

The Haunted Ruins of St Mary's Church, Eastwell, Kent.


The Haunted Ruins of St Mary's Church,
Eastwell, Kent.
by Barry Van-Asten



While out walking along the North Downs I came upon this old ruined church at Eastwell in Kent. The light was quickly fading and I took some images of this great Grade II listed ruin.


 
The spectacularly spooky St Mary's Church at Eastwell
 
 
 
 
 
The church has been derelict for over sixty years
 
 
 
 
The roof collapsed in 1951
 
 
 
 
During the Second World War the Eastwell Estate was used for
tank manoeuvres and it is said that this probably helped to weaken
the foundations of the church
 
 
 
 
Most of the church was demolished in 1956
 
 
 
 
A tomb in the churchyard is thought to be that of Richard,
the last of the Plantagenets who died in 1550
 
 
 
 
Richard was the bastard son of King Richard III
who died at the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485
 
 
 
 
Richard (the bastard) lived locally and worked as a craftsman
 
 
 
 
The church is still consecrated and said to be haunted by a ghostly monk!
 
 
 
 
The artificial Lake was created in the 1840's by damming a
tributary stream of the River Great Stour
 
 
 
 
The Lake may have also played a part in the church's downfall
by water seeping into the chalk foundations
 
 
 
 
 
 all images Copyright Barry Van-Asten
 
 
 
 

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