Project Case Studies
MAINTAINING THE MEDIEVAL CHURCH AT SNAVE
St Augustine's at Snave was declared redundant in 1983 after which the Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust intervened to stop a change to secular use. It is the only redundant church on the Marsh. The church is now entirely maintained by the Trust.
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The church at Snave is one of the smallest on the marsh – a fraction of the size of St George’s at Ivychurch or All Saints’ at Lydd, known as the “Cathedral of the Marsh”.
Since 1983, The Romney Marsh Historic Churches Trust has awarded grants totalling £118,816 to keep the fabric of the church at Snave in good condition. This highlights quite how costly the upkeep of these ancient buildings is. This is a for a small, fairly remote church that is seldom used by large congregations, so general wear and tear is limited.
When the Trust took on the church at Snave, it was in a state of disrepair. Since 1983, funds have been awarded for projects ranging from work in the church yard such as managing fallen trees and mending fences to repairing the roof and redecoration work.
Over the past 40 years, the President of the Trust, John Doyle MBE, has played a huge role in championing the marsh churches and in helping people to understand and appreciate their value, as he reflects in this article.
“I was concerned that they were all going to be made redundant. So I went to see the then Bishop of Dover, Bob Hardy. He was a lovely guy and I said, ‘Look all of these churches are going to be made redundant because there’s no way that the communities and villages can support them. We’ve formed a Trust and we think it’s going to be viable. Can we have your assurance that they’re not going to be made redundant?’. We discussed taking on the church at Snave – it is now entirely maintained by the Trust and we have the right to have one service there a year for Harvest Festival- this comes under the care of the local priest for the Saxon Shore Benefice.”
The next thanksgiving service at Snave will take place on Sunday 10th September 2023. In recent years, the church has also seen the return of Roman Catholic singing at Snave, for the first time in 500 years, courtesy of the Latin Mass Society. Events like this continue to draw new visitors and worshippers to the churches.
“I would like to see them continue. Once a church becomes deconsecrated the heart seems to go out of it and it becomes a shell. These churches have nearly 1,000 years of Christian worship – it does leave behind a definite feeling which is different from an ordinary building. They have a feeling about them and an atmosphere.”
Without the work of the Trust it’s questionable how many of these churches would still be seen today.
“Of course the real worry is the future and bringing young people into the churches. I fear it will be difficult…. They’ve got to be used, for things other than worship too. JAM on the Marsh have been wonderful – they’ve used all of the churches - tours, talks, concerts, exhibitions. If they’re not used they’ll just fade away – that is my fear.”
Please support us to ensure these churches can be enjoyed for many years to come.
Click to read an article about the Traditional Latin Mass at Snave, now an annual event.
Did You Know?
St Augustine’s at Snave is known locally as the Daffodil Church because of its beautiful springtime show of daffodils.
The upper stage of the tower is later 15th century and has a beacon turret. The beacon turret possibly allowed for fires or beacons to be lit in case of potential invasion, or to guide locals.
The Lady Chapel vies for importance with the chancel itself. It is possible that this reflects the fact that in the 13th and 14th centuries, when the church was built, the Cult of the Virgin was at its height. It may be that it was decided to build a grand chapel at Snave in her honour.
The chancel has a single piscina, a medieval stone basin used to wash the vessels of the Mass. There is also a single sedilia, or priest's seat with an embattled top.
The octagonal medieval font now lies discarded in the northwest corner of the nave, having been rescued in 1929 from use as a rainwater butt!
A relief panel on the north wall of the nave, with its skull and crossbones and the scythe of the Grim Reaper, was perhaps intended to remind the congregation of the inevitability of death.
More about St Augustine’s
SNAVE
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Discover more about St Augustine’s Church at Snave with our new self-guided tour. Scan the QR code on your mobile device or click the tour button to view online.
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An audio-only version of the tour is also available to listen to here.
