Church of the Sacred Heart
CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, DOVER ROAD
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1389387
- Date first listed:
- 04-Oct-2001
- List Entry Name:
- Church of the Sacred Heart
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, DOVER ROAD
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1389387
- Date first listed:
- 04-Oct-2001
- List Entry Name:
- Church of the Sacred Heart
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, DOVER ROAD
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF THE SACRED HEART, DOVER ROAD
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Kent
- District:
- Dover (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Walmer
- National Grid Reference:
- TR 36890 50136
Details
WALMER
860/0/10022 DOVER ROAD
04-OCT-01 Church of the Sacred Heart
II
Roman Catholic church, remaining part of a convent. Designed in 1881 in Gothic style by Peter Paul Pugin and Cuthbert Pugin and foundation stone laid in that year but not completed until 1890 and tower not until 1897. This is the only remaining part of the Convent of the Visitation, built by an order of nuns founded in France in 1610, of which the remaining buildings were demolished in 1982.
EXTERIOR: Built of stock brick with stone dressings and slate roof. Comprises vestibule higher than the rest of the church, three bay nave and three bay chancel in one range, south transept, south west tower and west porch. West front has a gable with stone coping, cross-shaped saddlestone and kneelers. Triple lancet window. Brick porch with large arch with dripmould, double doors and steps to street. Tower in three stages with slate pyramidal roof with metal cross-shaped finial. Stone fretted balustrading with gargoyle waterspouts and machicolations. Top or bell stage has two trefoil openings with wooden louvres. Central stage has stone niche with crocket and statue of the Virgin with Child flanked by trefoil lancets. Buttresses. Through archway to lowest stage. South side has three lancets separated by buttresses and a gabled transept with kneelers and rose window. North side has two lancets and the nuns choir was originally attached here. East front has gable with cross-shaped saddlestone and kneelers and triple lancet window with trefoil heads, the centre taller .
INTERIOR: Bell tower has bell of 1757 made by Chris. Aug. Becker in Hildesheim in 1757. Vestibule has wooden roof and screen with three lancets. Nave has arch-braced roof supported on stone corbels and five stained glass windows depicting the Good Shepherd, Queen conceived without sin, St Michael and the Two Labourers in the Vineyard, Tobias and the Angel and an unknown bishop saint. Seven rows of pews survive and origiinal tiled floor. South window has rose window with four Christ in Majesty together with St Francis de Sales and St Jane Frances de Chantal, founder and Foundress of the Order of the Visitation. Original altar with four marble colonnettes and three panels depicting Sacred Heart flanked by Angels, carved stone reredos with six trefoil-headed marble panels and marble feature with brass cupboard containing the Host with elaborate octagonal canopy with marble columns and stone gables with angels rising from the bases.
HISTORY: Only remaining part of the convent of the Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary. Originally founded in France in 1610 a Polish branch were expelled in 1865, first to Germany and then Walmer in 1875 where they bought a house called Roselands and gradually built a convent and chapel. All the other convent buildings were demolished in 1982.
[Roger Homan "The Victorian Churches of Kent" P99.]
Listing NGR: TR3689350150
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 488046
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Homans, R, Victorian Churches of Kent, (1984), 99
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 20-Jun-2026 at 03:55:23.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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