Mini route one
The Six Churches Ride – 15.25km (9.5 miles)
A very pretty rural route taking in one of the oldest religious buildings in England and a church designed by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, better known for the magnificent interiors, furnishings and fittings of the Houses of Parliament.
St. Nicholas At Wade Built of flint and ragstone, the 13th century church of St Nicholas is one of the finest in north-east Kent. Its tower can be seen from miles around and was an important sea-mark, like the Reculver Towers.
St. Mary Magdalen Church, Monkton
The smallest of Thanet’s remaining seven ancient churches, St. Mary Magdalen dates from about 1190. Extensive rebuilding took place in the 15th century, when the north aisle was blocked up and new windows inserted.
St. Mary’s The Virgin Church, Minster
This 12th century Norman church has a nave dating from 1160. Much of the building was destroyed during the Reformation but was restored in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Minster Abbey, Church Street, Minster
Founded in 670AD by Princess Ermenburga, the Abbey was built on land given to her by King Egbert of Kent. In 1027 King Canute granted the site to St Augustine’s Abbey, Canterbury. Minster Abbey is one of England’s oldest religious buildings and is now used by the Carmelite Order with some areas open to the public.
St. Augustine’s Cross, Ebbsfleet
Augustine first landed near to this site with 40 followers before crossing the Wantsum Channel (now silted up) to the mainland of Kent. The Celtic stone cross, erected in 1884, marks the site where the first Mass is reported to have been held, in 597AD.
St. Augustine‘s Abbey Church, St. Augustine’s Road, Ramsgate
This splendid Victorian church was designed by the great Victorian architect Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin, who is buried there. On the opposite side of the road lies the Monastery, designed by Pugin’s son, Edward.
Sailor’s Church, Royal Harbour, Ramsgate
Canon Eustace Brenan, the Vicar of Christ Church, who saw the need for spiritual guidance and physical help for the men and boys of the Ramsgate fleet, built the Sailor’s Church in 1878. There is also a small collection of model ships and paintings.
