The Building of the Church

The first Church on this site was built about 1050 as a chapel of ease to St. Mary's, Minster. Monastic priests from the mother Church walked to St. John's and to other chapels at St. Peter's and St. Laurence to celebrate masses and minister to the local inhabitants. The chapels eventually became parish Churches and a village developed around St. John's.

Meregate or Margate was a small fishing hamlet within the parish and was located close to the harbour while the main village was inland and known as St. John's in Thanet. Most of the local population worked on the land or were fishermen.

(C1050)

We believe that the original Church stood on a site between the modern nave altar and the rails of the high altar sanctuary.

The first extension of the Norman building was a north chapel dedicated to St. James.

(1200-1250)

As the Church prospered, a south chapel was also added and then the whole Church was lengthened to the present west door.

Around the year 1250 the Church was gutted by fire.

A tower was also added in the north west corner and this would have been visible to sailors as they passed by along the coast.

The original Norman pillars are round and the later additions are marked by the use of Early English pillars which are hexagonal instead, as illustrated on the left; the one on the left is hexagonal and the one on the right is round.

(1500-1800)

Just before the start of the Reformation in the 1530's, a further extension took place when a small treasury was built in the north eastern corner. The Kent coast was always vulnerable to raiding parties and a strong room was required to secure the Church's treasures against those who might come to pillage them.

Ragstone from the Weald was used in the building of this room; this is in contrast to the local knapped flint used in the rest of the external walls of the Church.