St Augustine's Church, Brookland
St Thomas à Becket Church in Fairfield stands alone in a field on the Marsh, surrounded by water courses and sheep. A causeway was built in 1913, and until then the church was more often than not surrounded by water during the winter and spring. Fairfield, the village it once served has long since disappeared, but the church has survived and is now part of a parish which includes the villages of Brookland, Brenzett and Snargate. The church is dedicated to St Thomas à Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. The church was built as a temporary structure of timber lath and plaster in c1200 to support the local farming community. From the outside it looks rather severe – the 13th century timber frame was encased in brickwork in the 18th century, and its immense roof covered in red tiles. The church is kept locked. The key can be obtained from Becket Barn Farm, Fairfield, TN29 9RZ, which is on the opposite side of the road a few hundred yards to the west of the church.
