The Venue
St Dunstan’s Cranbrook
St Dunstan’s Church, Cranbrook*
Cranbrook is by common consent the capital of the Kentish Weald and St Dunstan’s Church is known as the “Cathedral of the Weald” , a description which reflects its size and importance in the community. This dated from the 14th century when Edward III invited Flemish weavers to settle here and “Cranbrook Grey” became one of the most famous of the Kentish broadcloths. Tradition has it that, in 1573, when Elizabeth I visited the town, she walked to the church along a mile ot the finest quality cloth. The industry thrived into the 17th century, then went into gradual decay until it died out in the 19th century. This is therefore a wool church, which explains its dimensions.
As you approach the doorway, you will notice by the clock on the tower the rather ominous figure of Father Time with his scythe beating out the hours of our lives. The porch has a magnificent wide oak door and above the porch a room, known as the “martyrs’ room” in which the victims of Mary Tudor’s persecutions were held.
The south aisle has a unique baptistery designed about 1710 for the complete immersion of adults and built to encourage the conversion of Anabaptists of whom there were many in the Weald at that time.
The churchyard contains an epitaph which gives one pause for considerable thought. It records the death of a certain John Dennett, whose sister died 101 years before him!
*Where is it?