Unlike many of the neighbouring villages, the church here lies away from the road and is almost hidden by trees. The early church was no doubt built on raised ground to avoid the risk of flooding from the River Darent. As with all the north west Kent churches, Sutton’s is not only a shrine of architectural beauty but a symbol of local history. The earliest reference to Sutton Church is in 1077, when it was given to the Priory of St Andrew’s, Rochester. Nothing of this Saxon church remains. In 1213,the Manors of Sutton-at-Hone and Hawley were given to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem or Knights Hospitallers, one of the great military orders founded during the Crusades, whose manor and chapel stood nearby.

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