Fairfield, Kent

Fairfield
St Thomas à Becket church
Fairfield Location within Kent
Civil parish	Snargate
District	Folkestone and Hythe
Shire county	Kent
Region	South East
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Romney Marsh
Postcode district	TN29
Police	Kent
Fire	Kent
Ambulance	South East Coast
UK Parliament	Folkestone and Hythe
List of places UK England Kent 51°00′18″N0°47′53″E / 51.005°N 0.798°E / 51.005; 0.798

Fairfield is a village and former civil parish, now in the parish of Snargate, in the Folkestone and Hythe district of Kent, England. In 1931 the parish had a population of 61. ^[1] On 1 April 1934 the parish was abolished and merged with Snargate; part also went to Stone-cum-Ebony. ^[2] The area lies west of the village of Brookland. It is in the Church of England parish of Brookland and Fairfield ^[3] on Walland Marsh (part of Romney Marsh).

Church of St Thomas à Becket

Main article: Church of St Thomas à Becket, Fairfield

The isolated Church of St Thomas à Becket stands in open marshland and is accessible only by footpath, it is noted for its remote setting and has been a frequent subject for photographers, writers, and artists. The church was built in the 15th century on the site of an earlier church. ^{[4] [5]} Artist John Piper used the white panelling and black furnishings of Fairfield Church as inspiration for the prayer room at Nuffield College, Oxford. The church has also appeared in film adaptations of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations . ^[6] It is a Grade I listed building, ^[7]

References

1. "Population statistics Fairfield AP/CP through time". A Vision of Britain through Time . Retrieved 13 June 2023.
2. "Fairfield AP/CP". A Vision of Britain through Time. University of Portsmouth. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
3. "Brookland and Fairfield". A Church Near You. Archbishops' Council. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
4. Jenkins, Simon (1999). England's Thousand Best Churches. Penguin Books. p. 315. ISBN   978-1846146640.
5. "Fairfield, St Thomas Beckett". Britain Express. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
6. "St Thomas à Becket, Fairfield". Romney Marsh History. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
7. Historic England. "Church of St Thomas a Becket and Mounting Block Attached (1277450)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 29 December 2011.