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The History of Kent

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History of Warehorne

Warehorne comes from the Old English words ‘wer’ meaning a ‘weir, river-dam’ with ‘horn’ as a ‘horn, something shaped like a horn’; therefore ‘look-out promontory’. The Domesday Book chronicles Warehorne as Werahorne.

Warehorne parish church is a Grade: I listed building, dedicated to Saint Mathew. The Normans built the church in the 13th century. They added the aisles and a chancel in the following 100 years. There is a record of the church having four bells in 1552, with the fifth added in 1723. The tower required rebuilding in 1776, following its earlier collapse. In 1799, Edward Hasted described the church as being ‘a large handsome building, consisting of three isles and a chancel, all which are ceiled, and handsomely kept. At the west end is a square brick tower, built about twenty-six years ago, in the room of the old one, which fell down. There are five bells in it.’ In 1936, Alfred Bowell added a treble to complete six bells.