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Faversham, Kent, England medal

From Faversham, Kent, this English medal was probably minted for presentation to a
parishioner or dignitary who donated generously to the restoration of the Faversham
Parish Church ... perhaps in response to a fire, or maybe for general repairs and
renovation. Faversham Parish Church is the largest (or second largest, depending on
whom you ask) in Kent, and one of only nine British churches (including cathedrals)
with double-aisled transepts.

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The obverse of the medal features an ornately detailed view of the tower and steeple
of the church, with the legend "THE FAVERSHAM PARISH CHURCH RESTORATION APPEAL."
The Faversham Trust desribes the Abbey:

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"Faversham Abbey was founded in 1147 by King Stephen and his Queen, Matilda. The
site was just to the north east of the town, where the Queen Elizabeth II school is
now situated.

The aim of Stephen and Matilda was to found a chapel royal for the House of Blois.
They hoped, at that time, that the House of Blois would be victorious and rule over
England for generations to come.

The church was dissolved in 1538 and subsequently demolished as part of King Henry
VIII’s plans to sweep the monasteries from England. Much of the building material
was removed by military engineers and transported by sea to France, where it was
used to strengthen English fortifications in Calais, which at the time was England's
continental bridgehead.

Some of the domestic buildings remained in 1671, but not long afterwards the final
traces were removed and the exact site of the once famous church sank into oblivion
and was lost.

Excavations of the site have revealed that the church had a total length of about
370 feet; the long nave was flanked by north and south aisles in the usual manner
and gave a total width of nearly 80 feet.

The nave joined the large transept under a massive central tower, the foundation
sockets of which took the form of large rectangular pits. From here the chalk
foundations of the choir, still with aisles to north and south, ran eastwards to end
in a large apse. This was flanked by two smaller apsidal foundations which terminate
in aisles. Four more small apses existed on the transept arms.

Arden's House - Among the few surviving buildings of Faversham Abbey are the two
Barns at Abbey Farm. The smaller (Minor) Barn dates from 1425 and the larger (Major)
Barn dates from 1476. In the farmyard of which they form part there are other listed
buildings, including Abbey Farmhouse, part of which dates from the 14th century, and
a small building which is thought to have been the Abbot’s stable.

Also surviving is the Abbey Guest House, on the east side of the Outer Gateway of
the Abbey; now known as Arden's House.

Arden's House, now a private residence in Abbey Street, was the location of the
infamous murder of Thomas Arden in 1551.

King Stephen in 1154, his wife Matilda in 1151 and son Eustace in 1153, were all
buried in the Abbey; two deep pits close to the very centre of the choir were
probably the royal tombs.

The Abbey Church was excavated in 1964 and the empty graves of King Stephen, his
wife and son were found. Their bones are said to have been thrown into Faversham
Creek when the building was dismantled. However in the Parish Church is a canopy
tomb with no contemporary inscription where is said that their bones were
re-interred. "

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The reverse shows an outside view of the Abbey (Arden's House).

Composition: Red bronze.
Weight: ~ 30 grams.
Diameter: 1-1/2", the size of an English crown or American silver dollar.
Thickness: 1/8".

About the murder mentioned above: Alice Arden and her lover murdered Thomas
Arden, a former mayor of Faversham, in 1551. Alice was the granddaughter of the
designer of the Mary Rose, the famous ship of King Henry VIII.

-- Dentuck

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