Church art, medieval manor houses and archaeological traces from much earlier times shape Woodnesborough’s history. Visitors choosing the village for a stay will find a range of historical themes here: from church history and the pilgrimage movement to Canterbury to prehistoric finds at Ringlemere.
Church Art and Pilgrimage History
The original church in Woodnesborough was built in 1180 by Ascetinda de Wodensborg and transferred to the Priory of Ledes. After the martyrdom of Thomas Becket, pilgrims travelling to Canterbury Cathedral often stopped at St Mary in Woodnesborough. The local church can therefore also be viewed in the context of the history of pilgrimages to Canterbury.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin dates from around 1200, has alterations from the 14th century and was restored in 1884. Features of the tower of St Mary the Blessed Virgin include 13th- and 15th-century windows, a wooden balustrade and a curved spire. The church also has an original east window from the early 14th century, with three lights and quatrefoil tracery in the upper sections. The 14th-century sedilia ensemble comprises three seats with elaborately carved architectural details. The nave pillars bear incised crosses and ornamental circles, as well as a chalice, a paten and a patriarchal cross.
St Mary the Blessed Virgin is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm for personal prayer and quiet reflection. If you plan a visit, check the opening hours before you arrive.
Manor Houses, Spring House and Landscape
The monument at Grove Manor Farm comprises a square, water-filled moat and an inner island. Together, they formed the site of a medieval manor house. Grove Manor has existed since the time of Edward II. Denne Court offers a different historical reference point: the 17th-century house was altered in the early 19th century and is regarded as a manorial site.
Convent Well, also known as Conduit Well, dates from the medieval period. It lies about 600 metres northeast of Woodnesborough parish church, at the foot of a ridge, and offers views over Sandwich and the South Poulders marshes. Excavations uncovered the remains of a small, stone-built medieval spring house. An intact, sealed well shaft was also found inside the spring house. The site’s landscape setting and finds give it both a geographical and an archaeological connection.
Early History at Ringlemere
An Early Bronze Age gold cup was discovered at Ringlemere Farm near Woodnesborough, close to Sandwich. A geophysical survey located an enclosing ring ditch and confirmed a very large round barrow. Numerous finds of prehistoric worked flint and pottery point to settlement during the Mesolithic and later Neolithic periods. The history evidenced at Ringlemere therefore reaches much further back than Woodnesborough’s medieval buildings.
Access is important to bear in mind when planning a visit: Ringlemere Farm is on private farmland, and access to the site is not easy. Keep this in mind if you include the findspot in your plans.
Planning Route 2A
Route 2A connects Woodnesborough to Dover via Eastry. It includes sections of shared paths both alongside and away from the road. The infrastructure information comes from a plan dated December 2024 and may change during implementation. So check the current route before planning to use Route 2A. This connection can be considered as a separate planning aspect alongside the village’s historical themes.
Discover More Destinations
Discover more destinations: Lydd-On-Sea, Bilsington, Wingham, Sturry, Sutton Valence, Waldershare, Barham, Sissinghurst
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