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St Leonards in Hythe "The Church with the Bones"
The Parish Church of St Leonards in Hythe has stood where it is for a thousand years, and has been described as a fine and elegant building.
Looking down on the town below, the church creates an impressive skyline and important piece of history for the once busy channel port of Hythe. In medieval times St Leonards was known as Hethe Chapel, and it is said that past Archbishops of Canterbury held large estates at Saltwood near Hythe. It is believed that they may have been responsible for the growth of St Leonards, probably using craftsmen who had built the cathedral in Canterbury. The church today is proud of its work as a spiritual home and as a place of worship for the community of Christians.
St Leonards Church is also famous for its collection of bones.
Underneath the chancel is an area which houses a world famous collection of human remains, although it is unknown as to why they are there and who put them there.
This may have happened in the early 13th century when the chancel was extended into the former churchyard. Within the crypt are the last remains of 4000 men, women and children including around 2000 skulls and 8000 thigh bones. The reason that there are many more thigh bones than skulls is thought to simply be that skulls are more brittle.
Many theories exist as to where the remains came from. One of these include a story that they are remains of Saxons who were killed in a battle fought between Folkestone and Hythe around AD456.
