The Cinque Port of Hythe in Kent
St Leonard’s Church, the Church with the Bones
Although Hythe is a long way inland today, it was once a prosperous channel port. Hythe was one of the original Cinque Ports charged with providing ships and sailors to protect the south coast, but it is now far inland as the Channel receded over the centuries. The prosperity brought by its premier position as one of the shortest sea routes to France meant that its church St Leonard’s is one of the finest parish churches in the country.
St Leonard's Church in Hythe Kent
Located on a hill above the town, St Leonard’s is a fine Norman church. Built around 1080, the church probably benefited from the proximity of a large estate at Saltwood nearby, which was owned by a number of Archbishops of Canterbury.
Many ambitious improvements were made to the church in the early 13th century, including a spectacular chancel. As the sea retreated, Hythe’s wealth went with it and by the 14th century, the scale of additions had been reined back considerably and in some cases were not completed.
The most famous part of St Leonard’s is now the crypt. This started life as an ambulatory, but when the fashion for processions faded, this became the church’s crypt. The crypt contains the bones of more than 4,000 people, some dating back to the church’s Saxon origins.
The Crypt of St Leonard’s Church in Hythe
Visitors who negotiate the narrow path to the right of the church are rewarded by finding what Simon Jenkins described in his 1999 book, ‘England’s Thousand Best Churches’, as ‘England’s most celebrated and gruesome ossuary!’
The first thing that guests tend to notice is an unusual, ‘dry stone wall’ in the crypt. Closer inspection reveals that the wall is actually a densely packed pile of over 8,000 thigh bones, artistically arranged with grinning skulls interspersed between them.
Either side of the entrance to the crypt is a display of skulls, arranged on shelves in an alcove. These give an interesting insight into medieval life. Some show signs of trepanning, the act of drilling into the skull to release, ‘Evil Spirits’. Other skulls show signs of sword damage, giving credence to the legend that many of the bones came from a Saxon battle fought near Hythe, although scientific evidence disputes this.
Many of the skulls have strong teeth, indicating how despite the wear inflicted from the diet of the time, there was little decay due to an absence of the sugar we inflict on our teeth today.
Two of the strangest skulls on display are significantly smaller than the others. The obvious answer is that they belonged to children, but closer inspection shows that the skulls are actually adult in development. The owners suffered from dwarfism.
St Leonard Patron Saint of Prisoners of War
The church is dedicated to St. Leonard, a sixth century noble who became a hermit near Limoges in France.
The wife of his godfather Clovis, king of the Franks was riding with his pregnant wife in the forest near St. Leonard’s hermitage. When she went into labour, the prayers and aid of St Leonard helped her give birth safely. Clovis was so happy that he gave the hermit land around his hermitage on which he built an abbey. St Leonard is considered the patron saint of pregnant women.
St. Leonard’s other major patronage is prisoners of war. This is attributed to the release of Bohemond, prince of Antioch, who upon his release from captivity during the Crusades visited the site of St Leonard’s shrine.
St. Leonard’s church is one of 177 in England dedicated to the monk.
The church of St. Leonard’s at Hythe is a fascinating place for tourists to Kent and the Cinque Ports to stop for a while.
St Leonards church crypt hythe skull display
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