IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Tunstall, SITTINGBOURNE, ME9 8DU

On Tunstall Road. Seen from church car park opposite the church.

The church was heavily restored between 1848 and 1856. The south chapel is Perpendicular like the rest of the church, although the extension to the east dates from 1655 - an uncommon time for any church building.

Bench at the base of the Village Sign. Has engraved on the back of the bench 'In memory of Bill Chesson. Non apud cohortem cautiorum erat sed ad locos invios praecurrit'.

The church was heavily restored between 1848 and 1856. The south chapel, seen on the right here, is Perpendicular like the rest of the church, although the extension to the east dates from 1655 - an uncommon time for any church building.

The church was heavily restored between 1848 and 1856. The south chapel, seen here, is Perpendicular like the rest of the church, although the extension to the east dates from 1655 - an uncommon time for any church building. The monument on the left is to Sir James Crowmer and dates from 1613. They are fragments of a large Jacobean monument. The wife of Sir James kneels opposite him and between them are three kneeling daughters. To the right is the tomb of Sir Edward Hales dating from 1654. This is the monument for which the south chapel was extended. The knight lies in full plate armour at attention but for the arm that props him up. Pevsner calls it "a crass piece of carving".

On Tunstall Road, facing towards Sittingbourne. A pond is on the right. See also Image

Curiously shaped pond beside the road in Tunstall. The brick wall is a fairly recent addition, presumably for safety reasons. I think the pond existed for tightening cart wheels. The house is Hales House, originally built for the Hales family in 1630 - Tunstall House is also associated with the family who have a tomb in the church. My thanks to Stephen Lynas for the following extra information: 'The pond was universally known as "Coffin Pond" when I was a child (1950s/60s). It has a slope into it at the church end - giving credibility to the cartwheel theory - but was otherwise walled off from the road. There always was a brick wall (of old bricks like Hales House), and it made the pond a perfect coffin shape. But somewhere around 1968 someone (not me, but I was told who it was...) drove into the wall and it was demolished. I think in the 70s rather nasty concrete posts and wire were put up. This present wall is therefore relatively new and unfortunately the pond shape has been smoothed out so it no longer resembles a coffin. But it looks much better now than after the original wall was demolished.'