St Mary's Church

St Mary's Church is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Higham, Kent, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. The church stands near the end of a road to the north of Lower Higham, some 4 miles northwest of Rochester.
St Mary's was founded in the Saxon era, and a church was in existence on the site before the Norman Conquest. The present church was rebuilt after the Conquest, and it still contains some Norman features, despite later additions and alterations. During the 12th century a nunnery was founded nearby, and in about 1280 it moved to a site opposite the church. In 1357 the nunnery received a papal indulgence to raise money for repairs. It is thought likely that this was used to build a new south aisle for the church, which is as large as the original nave. The nunnery was closed in 1522. In 1710 the spire was built. The church was repaired and restored in the early part of the 19th century. The south porch was built during the 19th century. In 1863 the church was restored by an architect with the surname of Speechly, and new furniture was installed. The windows were replaced "copying what was there before". However, by the middle of the century the centre of Higham's population had moved away from the area of St Mary's, and a new church, dedicated to St John, was built nearer to the railway station and the main road in 1862.

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