St Thomas a Becket Church, Capel
Capel, near Tonbridge, West Kent
A small Norman church in the fields outside Tonbridge, cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust, where Thomas Becket is said to have preached. Its nave walls are covered in medieval paintings, among them Cain and Abel and Christ's entry into Jerusalem.
Highlights
- Extensive medieval wall paintings across most of the nave
- A striking crown-post roof
- Tower partly rebuilt after a fire in 1639
- A churchyard yew linked to the story of Becket preaching here
Good to know
- A guide to the wall paintings can be downloaded from the trust's page
- No heating, running water or toilets
- Paddock Wood station is about 2 miles away
- Pair it with the Chagall windows at All Saints', Tudeley, in the same parish
Getting there
St Thomas a Becket Church, Capel, Church Lane, Capel, Tonbridge, TN12 6SXParking: Large car park behind the church. Follow the brown Historic Church signs from the A228 along Alders Road or from the B2017 along Church Lane.
Get directionsChecked on 30 October 2026 against visitchurches.org.uk, tudeley.org, visittunbridgewells.com. Details change, so please confirm with the venue before you travel. How we check
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More things to do in Tonbridge
Nearby
All Saints' Church, Tudeley
All Saints' at Tudeley is the only church in the world with every one of its twelve windows designed by Marc Chagall. The first, the east window, remembers Sarah d'Avigdor-Goldsmid, who drowned at 21, and Chagall was so taken with the church that he went on to design the rest.
Photo: N Chadwick, CC BY-SA 2.0Tudeley Woods
Ancient woodland, heathland and pasture two miles south-east of Tonbridge, once run as an RSPB reserve and now cared for by the Hadlow Estate. Three marked nature trails and old sunken drovers' paths lead through bluebell woods rich in birds and fungi.
Spring Hill Trout Waters
Spring Hill Trout Waters is a fly fishery in a wooded valley between Pembury and Matfield, with three spring-fed lakes stocked with rainbow and brown trout. It suits both experienced fly anglers and beginners, who can book tuition with the owner or one of the visiting game angling instructors.