St. John the Baptist Church in Barham, Kent

St. John the Baptist Church in Barham, Kent

St. John’s is a bustling, family-focused church that offers a variety of service formats, from a customary 8 o’clock Communion to an upbeat Family Service.

Each month, a choir and organist lead a sung Eucharist at least twice during the major liturgies. The Vestry space, a posh space with a kitchen and lavatory that was built a few years ago and is located at the back of the church, typically hosts a Sunday Club during these Eucharists.

We recently added some brand-new, cosy chairs, and we’re also preparing to enhance the audio and video systems.

Since there is no longer a Methodist Chapel in the village, local Methodists are welcome at St. John’s.

A church is listed in the Doomsday Book, but the existing structure dates to the 14th century. A south aisle was erected in the 15th century, and the Victorians added a north porch and other changes. The interior is airy and light. Features to note include:

A youthful John the Baptist dressed in animal skins is seated at the feet of the Virgin Mary in the East Window, which shows her cradling the Christ Child. Martin Travers created the window in 1925, and it is a particularly light and delicate example of painted glass.

Additionally, Travers created a considerably darker “St. George and the Dragon” window in the northwest corner to honour the Signals Regiment’s casualties from World War 1.

The opulent monument in the southwest corner is dedicated to Basil Dixwell, whose picture by Van Dyke is shown in Canterbury’s Beaney Institute.

‘Field Marshall Lord Kitchener’ being mentioned at the top of the porch’s War Memorial. At Broome Park, Kitchener had a home. During World War I, he perished when his ship sank as he was en route to Russia.

At St. John the Baptist Church in Barham, the contemporary stained glass window in the south transept was manufactured, installed, and commissioned for the Millennium by Alexandra le Rossignol.

This part of the church is also designated as a prayer corner, providing a calm setting for meditation and prayer.