Guess the Place

[johnfilmer]

Another SWAG and I think that I have it, but will hold back as I’ve been too successful lately, time for others to win.

[CAT]

Not a chapter house as you say MartinR, but you are heading in the right direction.


Not Holy Trinity, Sittingbourne DaveTheTrain, you need to head inland to the southeast(ish)


The village if it can be called a village possesses two castles, one of which is hardly known, whilst the other is hardly a castle in the true sense

[DaveTheTrain]

It looks very similar to Holy Trinity, Sittingbourne.
DTT

[MartinR]

Odd.  It looks like a chapter house, but that would imply some sort of monastic institution.  Brick makes it a bit late for that though.  I suppose it could be a Lady Chapel, but they are not normally circular and not normally at the east end.

[CAT]

Not a crematorium John Walker, neither the brick structure or the chimney are linked in function. The chimney being for a small fireplace in the church for the early school.

[John Walker]

I haven't found the church yet, but was the brick structure a crematorium as I see there's a brick chimney attached?

[CAT]

Many thanks johnfilmer and MartinR. Its not an area I know particularly well, though I had worked nearby many years ago.


 My next is another period view of a church, which is virtually unaltered except for the now missing circular 'structure', which originally possessed a specific function, to the north of the chancel. But where and extra points for details about the brick structure.

[MartinR]

The church is centered at:

• Nat Grid:     TQ 70138 61223
• Post Code:  ME6 5HT
• WGS84:      51°19'29"N E000°26'26"E or 51.3247,0.4404

The "Medway Valley Line"  was originally the North Kent Line of the South Eastern Railway (SER).  The line from Paddock Wood to Maidstone had been completed in 1844, and in 1856 this was extended to Strood.  In 1899 The former rivals of the London, Chatham and Dover (LDCR) agreed to joint operations and from then on the company was known as South Eastern and Chatham Railway (SE&CR).  After the date of the map, under grouping, it became part of the Southern Railway.  After nationalisation it was the Southern Region of British Railways.  At what point the title "Medway Valley Line" was adopted I've not been able to ascertain, but I'm fairly confident it was after grouping (1 January 1923).  If you look closely at the map shown, the bottom of the ampersand is visible, giving "SE&CR", and the name "North Kent Li" is obviously the North Kent Line.

[johnfilmer]

Well done CAT, it is the southern end of Snodland, the land being Birling Common.


The church was referred to as being at Lower Birling, some relatives were married there 1919 and that sparked an interest in it. I used to drive past it every day for about 8 years, area has changed a bit from that map!


Over to you CAT.

[John Walker]

Well, I've learned something there.  I've always thought of that section of track as the Medway Valley Line.  Obviously some changes over the years. Well done CAT.

[CAT]

Got it eventually. Section of line to the west of Brookland Lake, Snodland. The full title to the southwest is Birling Common?

[John Walker]

Well, I've followed the North Kent Railway on my map (OS 25inch 1892 - 1914 )and I can't find any point where it runs in exactly the same direction as on your map section.  My map is earlier so perhaps other parts of a line were later named North Kent Line.  Still searching 

[johnfilmer]

The section of railway shows it to run (very) roughly north south, in a county of lines mainly radiating out from London.

[johnfilmer]

I may do as JW suggests, as I havn't been to Sandwich to wander round for years.

Yet again it was an absolute guess, memories of an architect in bright green rimmed glasses (in 1985!) asking me to "SWAG" an answer to a job on a pub refurb. SWAG turned out to mean "Scientific Wild Ar$ed Guess". I did it a lot when estimating jobs... 
Meanwhile, back at the game.
Another map, no clues yet as someone may know this. Its from a 6inch OS map revised 1907, published 1910.
Well alright then, just a little clue, the church is not named as being in the settlement that it serves, but for part of another nearby settlement

[John Walker]

If any of you are thinking of heading to Sandwich, you might find the Sandwich Medieval Trust museum interesting.  Working forge producing some evil-looking arrow heads and much more.  It's on the quay opposite the Fisher Gate in CAT's photo.


https://sandwichmedieval.org/