Church of St Peter and St Paul

The Church of St Peter and St Paul is a Grade II* listed building located on Castle Way in Leybourne. It dates back to the 12th century, with significant alterations made around 1533 and restoration work carried out between 1873 and 1877 by Sir A. Blomfield. The church features a west tower, a nave, a separate chancel, and a north aisle with a chapel. The exterior is constructed of random rubble with tiled roofs.

The tower consists of four stages, marked by bands, and was re-cased during the 1873-77 restoration. It has an embattled top with inset machicolations and prominent water-spouts at the corners. The belfry openings are neo-Norman in style, featuring two lights, while the lower stages have tall slit windows and a curvilinear west window. The nave has two bays and includes one 12th-century window on the south side. The chancel is a single bay, and the north aisle and chapel contain three two-light windows with square-headed surrounds.

Inside, the church features a north arcade supported by 14th-century octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches. The chancel arch, also double-chamfered, was originally part of the north arcade. Notable fittings include the Heart Shrine, traditionally associated with Sir Roger de Laybourne, who died in 1271. This shrine features a double-arched recess within a single arch, two free-standing gabled caskets with geometric patterns, and two wrought-iron crowns. There is also a monument to Louisa Brockman, who died in 1837, created by J. S. Westmacott in 1866, which includes a tablet flanked by relief figures.