The lost St Mary's Church Eastwell and the grave of Rychard Plantaganet

This is a wonderful place for a picnic, and steeped in History. There is a memorial to the son of Richard III who was buried here in 1550 after living in secrecy after the death of his father at the battle of Bosworth. St Mary’s was once a fine medieval church on an ancient pilgrimage route to Canterbury and the shrine St Thomas Becket. Situated within the grounds of Eastwell Park, all that remains is a 15th-century tower, a 19th-century mortuary chapel and a slender flint wall linking the two.
A picturesque lake created just to the east of the church in the 19th century brought about the collapse of the nave arcade, as the chalk columns sucked up moisture from the earth and crumbled.
In the 1940s, Eastwell Park was taken over by the army for tank training exercises. Shocks from nearby explosions didn’t help the vulnerable structure. But in February 1951, after weeks of heavy rain the nave roof collapsed and took the arcade with it.
Six years later the church was dismantled. The bells were sold for scrap. The monuments found a new home in the V&A. A sad end for this lakeside beauty.
Much mystery remains around this place. In the churchyard, there is a Victorian tomb, which is reputed to be the grave of Richard Plantagenet, an illegitimate son of Richard III. The church registers record his death, “Rychard Plantagenet was buryed on the 22. daye of December 1550”. There is a tradition, that a natural son of king Richard III. named Richard Plantagenet, sled hither from Leicester immediately after the fatal battle of Bosworth, fought in 1485, in which the king lost both his life and crown, and that he lived here in a mean capacity, having leave given him by Sir Tho. Moyle, as soon as he was discovered by him, to build for himself a small house, in one of his fields near his mansion of Eastwell-place, in which he afterwards lived and died; which is corroborated by an entry of his burial in the parish registry. He died in 1550, anno 4 king Edward VI. aged, as is supposed, about eighty-one. The entry in the parish register is as follows, under the article of burials: V. Richard Plantagenet, Desember 22d, 1550; the letter V prefixed being put before the name of every person of noble family mentioned in it; and against the north wall of the high chancel there is an antient tomb, without inscription, with the marks of two coats of arms, the brasses gone, which is reported to be that of this Richard Plantagenet. There was then no park here, but when there was one made, this small hut was included in it, and remained in being till it was pulled down by Heneage, earl of Winchelsea, who died in 1689.

[@Mr39knuck]

Thank you for bringing this very beautiful place into my home. It made it even better that you got there on your old motorbike.
I had just finished praying the rosary when I got up and watched your video, coincidence? I think not.

[@thra5herxb12s]

The history of the Church and the Estate and Rychard's life here is very interesting, and much can be found online.

[@waltermatthews1155]

One of my favourite pastimes visiting churches, nice vid.

[@thra5herxb12s]

This is a great place to bring a picnic or to just walk around and do a little bit of weeding.

[@HippoDrones]

An interesting explore mate

[@thra5herxb12s]

Thanks. I like to stop here to eat my sandwiches when I'm riding the Pilgrims Way 👍