A reader (giving his name as Jake) has sent in three photos of cars parked in St Mary's churchyard in Rye - but without details of when the photos were taken - expressing concern that the churchyard is turning into a car park.
A parking area does exist at the back of the east end of the church by the entrance door used by the clergy, choir, vergers and others involved in church activities - and that door is effectively the "stage door" when concerts and other events take place.
And normally - unless a major service like Easter or Christmas is taking place, or a Bishop is visiting - there is enough parking space on the far church side of the war memorial, or immediately adjacent to the entrance from the road (see photo below).
However, the top photo shows cars parked all round the war memorial, which is not normally allowed, and one photo (below) shows a car parked on a footpath which goes round the church.
Only limited use of the church is possible currently because of restrictions introduced as a result of the pandemic, but staff are still required, so some parking will be necessary. In the past however St Mary's has, from time to time, required users to display identity cards on their windscreens - and it has been suggested that lightning may strike offending vehicles.
A comment has been sought from St Mary's - but this has been an intermittent problem even before the parking meters arrived.
