St Paul’s Church Wall of Flowers

Since January, members of the congregation and Sandgate community have been knitting and crocheting flowers for an eye-catching display that will help promote the 200th anniversary of St Paul’s Church, celebrated with a week of events beginning on Sunday 5th June. 

The display is located on the wall beside the steps leading up to the church where so many have made the walk to services and other events before the road leading up to Saga was developed.

This colourful arrangement of over 1,000 flowers was unveiled on Sunday 1st May and has already caught the eye of many passers-by. Do pop down and take a look. We would like to thank everyone who has been involved. It really is a project by the community for the community.

For more information about any of the above events please contact Carrie Thomas, Deputy Churchwarden at: stpauls200@gmail.com

St Paul’s Church Facebook page: facebook.com/stpaulssandgate

St Paul’s page on the Trinity Benefice, Folkestone website: trinitybenefice.co.uk

About St Paul’s Church, Sandgate

The first “Sandgate Episcopal Chapel” was built by the Earl of Darnley at his own expense on a plot of land from the adjoining parkland estate of Enbrook which he had purchased. It was consecrated on May 28th, 1822 and was a square building in Georgian Classical style with a cupola. It may be seen on prints of Sandgate made a few years later.

The small village of Sandgate developed rapidly when the railway reached Folkestone in 1843, and a larger church was needed. The earlier building was demolished in 1848 to make way for the present church which was completed in 1849.

The architect, S. S. Teulon, achieved distinction in designing Victorian churches and St. Paul’s is one of his earlier works. It had two-decker seating with galleries and could accommodate 890. The four cross-gables of polychrome brickwork with stone dressings dominate the front elevation. The omission of a spire was probably to keep down the cost.

Sandgate Church was a Chapel-of-Ease until 1888, when it became a parish church. Perhaps St. Paul was chosen as its patron in memory of his sea-voyages in the service of Christ. Inhabitants of Sandgate look out to sea daily at the passing ships and on more than one occasion helped shipwrecked sailors in Victorian times.