About Bredgar

St John the Baptist, Bredgar Parish Church Kent

Welcome to St John the Baptist, Bredgar Church.

Bredgar church has been in existence on this site for many hundreds of years – the west door is Norman, and some of the stones in the base of the tower are believed to be part of an earlier Saxon church.

The modern church is Grade I listed, and appears very light inside due to the large windows. There is a small amount of stained glass, that in the north and east windows of the chancel being the fragments of mediaeval glass windows that were sucked out when a flying bomb landed locally during the Second World War.

Bredgar Church Window

Bredgar Church Window

The vicar at the time collected as many fragments as could be found, and they were re-assembled to form the windows that can be seen today. The original must have been quite magnificent!

Other stained glass includes a memorial window featuring Christ and St. John the Baptist and an ‘Alphabet Window’ which was installed in 1995 to record various aspects of village life at that time.

Hatchment Fearne family

Hatchment relating to the Fearne family

There is a wealth of memorials within the building, also two hatchments relating to the Fearne family, and a Royal Coat of Arms dated to 1663.

There are six bells in the tower, which were re-hung with new bearings and frame in 1967. The tenor bell weighs 9 1/2 cwt. Practice night is Wednesday, from 19:30 to 20:30. The church clock was installed in 1902 to commemorate the coronation of Edward VII, and replaced an earlier clock of 1722 that had a square face and only one hand.

A lych gate was constructed to commemorate the turn of the millennium, and features a row of ducklings on its’ ridge.

There is an active ‘Friends’ group, with events being held throughout the year.

Socialising at the Friends of Bredgar Church AGM

Friends of Bredgar Church AGM

Since the ‘lockdowns’ of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have re-started worship at Bredgar on a more limited basis, with a service of Holy Communion on the second Sunday of the month and Family Service on the fourth Sunday. The Holy Communion service is more traditional, with hymns and organ music, while the Family Service is more contemporary with the service format presented via our projection system. Other occassional services are held – please check the ‘Benefice Services’ page.

To support the Parish of Bredgar with Bicknor financially, please use this link Bredgar with Bicknor – Give a Little

 

Easter 2022 – We were very pleased to welcome Bredgar School back to the church for their Easter Service, before the children broke up for the Easter holiday. Decorations were made in school, and hung in the church for the service.  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas 2016 – The Community Choir led us at our Carol Service in the church on Wednesday 21st December, having already sung carols around the village two days earlier. They sounded great!

Photo of the Community Choir at our Carol Service

Community choir, led by Eve White 

Harvest 2015 – We enjoyed a traditional Harvest Thanksgiving service, followed by a lovely lunch in the village hall, with two speakers from ‘The Quays’ hostel in Sittingbourne.

Deriction of 'The Sower' parable - stony ground, thorny ground, seeds, crows, sun and wheat.

Props used during the Harvest sermon

Summer 2015 –  the Bredgar churchwardens and their families spent a couple of days on the Norfolk Broads with Revd. Marian and her husband, enjoying some lovely weather, a picnic at St. Benets Abbey and some sailing!

Sailing up the Thurne

Sailing up the River Thurne

 

Picture of our two boats sailing from St. Benets Abbey

Sailing from St. Benets

 

Picture of the ruins of St. Bents' Abbey gatehouse and the mill that was built inside it.

St. Benets Abbey gatehouse and the mill built inside it

 

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