Early records of the building of St Michael’s Church, Playden are very scanty, Alan Dickinson told his audience on Saturday August 6, in a talk organised by Helen Gray and in aid of the church restoration fund. It was surely consecrated ground that was chosen for the present building on the site, but nothing remains of the earlier Saxon structure. Starting from the geological setting, he moved through Roman times with reference to archaeological finds evidencing the location of a maritime trading point at Saltcote Street, now named New England Lane.
The present cruciform building dates from late Norman times and was built complete with its side aisles, an unusual feature for the period, reflecting the growth of population in the thirteenth century, before the Black Death.
Alan Dickinson and Lesley Voice, following each other alternately in turn about, gave a most interesting account of how architecture and furnishings adapted over the centuries to meet the changing ideas about religious ritual and worship, especially pre- and post-Reformation. This was demonstrated in a tour of the building, inside and out, when features easily overlooked were identified and explained. The most immediately striking object for any congregation is the ladder leading up the tower bell-chamber like some gateway to heaven, precarious now but sturdy when erected probably in the early 1700s. Intriguing too was the former rood screen, with its intricate but bold English wood-carving in swirling arabesque.
A leisurely stroll in the evening sunlight around the church revealed further signs of change and decay. A green woodpecker flew overhead with its distinctive call and our attention was drawn to the holes it had drilled in the shingle spire. The historic re-use of building materials, often of inferior quality, were another reason for the high cost of maintenance. One architect in our company jokingly declared that the best thing would be to pull the building down and start again – but he was swiftly over-ruled by his spouse. It is a beautiful building in an idyllic setting and long may it remain so. Our thanks went to our speakers, to organiser Helen Gray and to the friends of St Michael’s for a delightful and instructive evening.
photo: Kenneth Bird