The old and new churches c.1894.
The earliest reference to a church at Charlton
is in a fragment of manuscript, dating from between 1147
and 1182, refering to the dedication of a chapel to St Peter
at Charlton. The nature and history of this early building
are unclear until 1827 when the church was rebuilt as it
was too small. How much of the building that was rebuilt
in 1827 dated back to the 12th century is not known.
By the late 19th century even the enlarged
church was found to be too small for the growing community
of Charlton, by then incorporated into Dover, and the present
church was built. The new church was consecrated in 1893
and the old church demolished in 1895. A stone in the churchyard
marks the site of the old high altar.
The church was damaged during the Second
World War. On 15th September 1944 a 15 inch shell exploded
after burrowing under the foundations of the south west
corner. The nave was severely damaged, the west wall was
split and the blast lifted a pillar and its base moved one
and a half inches, though the pillar itself settled absolutely
upright. This displacement is still visible today. Two weeks
later a second shell fell on the eastern wall of the churchyard
blowing out the east windows and causing further extensive
structural damage.
After the war extensive repairs were undertaken
and the church was rehallowed by the Archbishop of Canterbury
in September 1952.
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