Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Tanners Street, Faversham

Image: © pam fray Taken: 23 Jul 2020

The adjoining Georgian house is undergoing painting and maintenance. The church building was built in 1861 as a schoolroom for the female children of Quakers, many of whom worked in the Faversham gunpowder industry. The mid-18th-century house adjoining the school was occupied by the schoolteachers. The Quakers vacated the school in 1907 and the building was acquired in 1910 by East Kent Cinemas and converted into The Empire Picture Hall. The cinema closed in 1936 and both it and the adjoining house, together with substantial grounds, were bought by the Carmelites, who had been established in Faversham since 1926. The schoolroom itself was fitted for worship. Fittings have been contributed over the years by various artists including Edward Ardizzone, who painted the large reredos triptych.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0