Churches visit to Deal
By Mary Berg
The first Churches Committee visits in 2016 were to two churches in Deal. For a number of years, the April visits have taken place in warm sunshine but this year was an exception. Luckily, the warmth of the welcome in both churches more than made up for the lack of sunshine outside.
We met at the church of St George. It is a large, open church built in the early 18th century, typical of its period and still with its galleries. Vic Pallet told us the history of the church from its inception in July 1707. It was built as a chapel-of-ease in the centre of Deal to accommodate the growing population. It soon became the civic church and the mayor's splendid seat in the north gallery dates from 1793. The galleries, not surprisingly in Deal, contain reused ships’ timbers. In 1992, a baptismal pool was installed in the sanctuary. The church is rich in memorials, including many naval ones. It is known that Lord Nelson paid for and attended at least one funeral at the church. The space and its excellent acoustics mean that it is regularly used for concerts and other events.
The church of St Andrew is not far away in distance but is a complete contrast in just about every respect. It is a Victorian church built along ‘traditional’ lines and its churchmanship is Anglo-Catholic. Peter Gibson reported that it was built following a public subscription in the years 1848-8 when the need for a church to serve the poorer end of Deal was perceived. St George was felt to serve ‘the quality’. The site chosen was that of the old workhouse. The church was designed by Ambrose Poynter of Westminster and opened in 1850. The building did not receive critical acclaim but proved popular. It was extended eastwards in 1865 and there were further extensions a few years later. Much of the glass is by Gibbs dating from the mid-18th century but the glass in the east window was blown out in 1944 and the west window was filled in. The pulpit with painted panels is by Hemming (1890). Committee member Imogen Corrigan explained the numerical symbolism of many of the features of the church before we repaired to the parish room for a splendid tea.
Members will be pleased to know that in 2015 we were able to donate £786 in total to the churches we visited. The church providing tea receives enough to cover the cost of tea and cake as well as a donation but, in many cases, tea is prepared and served by volunteers so the donation is greater.
This is only one way in which the KAS is able to support local communities. If your local church has not been visited — or at least not recently — and you are able to help organise a visit, please get in touch with me (maryberg@hotmail.co.uk).