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Canterbury
 

Canterbury, St Mary Breadman

Photo: Royal Commission on Historical Monuments

  • Church demolished, formerly 3 bells
  • Formerly ring of 3, tenor 5½ cwt approx.. Transferred to Canterbury (St Andrew), Canterbury (Westgate Towers, then Bishopsbourne) and 1 unknown.
  • Grid Ref: TR149578
  • Denomination: Church of England
    Diocese (Anglican): Canterbury
    Archdeaconry (Anglican): Canterbury

The original ring of 3
Bell Weight
(most recent)		DiameterDateFounderRetunedFate
Treble (of 3)2¾ cwt approx.22⅞"1597Robert MotNeverWent to Westgate Towers, then Bishopsbourne
2nd (of 3)4½ cwt approx.c.26½"?UnknownNeverNot retained when church rebuilt in 1822.
Tenor (of 3)5¾ cwt approx.30½"1597Robert MotNeverWent to St Andrew's, then St Anne, Caversham

History
1597 2 bells were cast by Robert Mot.
1757 Faussett records 3 bells in the tower.
1774 The tenor (of 3) was sold to the new St Andrew's church and hung in the tower there.
1799 There is a record of 2 bells in the tower.
1822 The church was rebuilt in an undistinguished Gothick style. There is a record of only 1 bell by Robert Mot that was retained.
1865 The church was damaged by fire.
1887 Stahlschmidt records 1 bell, formerly 3.
1900 The church was pulled down. The remaining bell was hung in the guard cell on top of the western drum of the West Gate.
1974 The bell from Westgate was transferred to Bishopsbourne to form the treble of a chime of 4.

The site in 2020

A plaque on the site of the church.
Photo: Dickon R Love, 11 Sept 2020
The site next to Nason's Dept store (closed by 2020 and prior to redevelopment). The flint walls in this area are not remains of the church, but were rebuilt, possibly from rubble from the church, to form a garden feature.
Photo: Dickon R Love, 11 Sept 2020
The roof line of the church can be made out on the wall of the adjacent building.
Photo: Dickon R Love, 11 Sept 2020

This is the churchyard of St Margaret's church. Just beyond the wood fence is the churchyard of St Mary Breadman, which was still extant round the back of the buildings otherwise pictured.
Photo: Dickon R Love, 11 Sept 2020

Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent Page updated: 25 September 2020