stood on the northern side of
the town, where indeed the Abbey Farm still remains. It is to the
parish church of Our Lady of Charity that we must turn for any memory
of the conventual house where many a pilgrim must often have knelt to
venerate the relic of the Holy Cross.

The great church which remains to us is said to have been used by the
monks, and if not part of the abbey itself which would seem to have
stood at some distance from it, more than one thing that remains in it
would seem to endorse such a theory. To begin with, the church is
very spacious, and cruciform in plan, though the tower is at the west
end. This, however, is a very ugly affair, dating from 1797. In the
main the great church, which has been tampered with at very various
times, if not rebuilt, must have been Early English in style. As we
see it we have a building divided into three aisles, in nave, chancel
and transepts. The nave as it is at present may be neglected, but in
the north transept we have a curious hagioscope or other opening in
the shape of a cross and there used to be some remains of paintings;
the Nativity, the Virgin and Child, the Gloria in Excelsis, the
Crucifixion and the holy women at the Sepulchre of Our Lord. In the
chancel were other remains of paintings. There still remain the very
noble stalls which seem to assure us of the monastic use of the
church, and a fine altar tomb of the fifteenth century; this on the
north side. On the south are very fine sedilia and piscina. Close by
is a brass to William Thanbury, the vicar here, dating from 1448. The
inscription considering the use of the church to-day, is pathetic; for
there we read CREDO IN SANCT. ECCLES. CATH., a pleasing misreading of
the true text which every one, though for different reasons, will
rejoice to read.

We are told by local tradition or gossip that the tomb at the end of
the south aisle is that of King Stephen. This, however, could only be
true if this were indeed the church of the monastery. The tomb is
Decorated in style and has a canopy, but is without inscription.

Our Lady of Charity was, however, chiefly famous for its chapel of St
Thomas of Canterbury on the north side of the chancel, and for its
altars of SS. Crispin and Crispian and of St Erasmus. Many pilgrims
turned aside from the road to visit Faversham which was not a station
on the pilgrimage, for the sake of these shrines and altars and
especially to pray in the chapel of St Thomas.

It