The church of St Leonard, Hythe

The ancient parish church of Hythe, St Leonard's has overlooked this historic Cinque Ports Town for nearly a thousand years. It is now the central church of a thriving parish, the place where you will find our main Sunday worship, and the place to come to connect with the Church of England in Hythe.   

St Leonard's is known as "the church with the bones," on account of its famous ossuary containing a large collection of human bones. The church is open for visiting every day; the ossuary is open for respectfully-managed visiting from Easter until the end of September.  See "The Ossuary" page of our website for more details.

We are welcoming and open to all, whether you come to explore the church and its ossuary, to worship with us while visiting the area, to find a church to call home, or to explore faith and life.

Use the links on the left or our main website to find out more about us, get in touch, plan a visit, or come to one of our services to meet us.

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Get in touch

Michael Darkins

St Leonard's church, Oak Walk, Hythe

CT21 5DN
Priest in Charge
01303 266217

Our website

What's on

Holy Communion from the Book of Common Prayer

Every Sunday at for 40 mins
The church of St Leonard, Hythe
Oak Walk Hythe, CT215DP, United Kingdom

Our first service every Sunday morning is a quiet and reflective Communion service, using the words of The Book of Common Prayer (BCP). There is no music or hymns, and there is often a short reflection or homily related to the day's Bible readings. A small congregation meets in the choir stalls, which are accessed by the steps that lead up to the high altar of St Leonard's, but it is possible to enjoy the service from the pews and chairs on the main floor of the church.
The service is quiet and reflective in tone, using the much-loved and poetic language of the BCP week-in and week-out. This is a traditional, gentle, deeply spiritual form of worship; an ideal way to begin your Sunday.