Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 14/10/2019

SS 64 SW
5/93

25.2.65

KENTISBURY
Church of St. Thomas

GV
II*

Parish church. C15 or early C16 west tower, and fabric of nave walls and south porch. Chancel rebuilt, north aisle added and church restored and nave reroofed in 1873-5 by Edwin Dolby of Abingdon. Shale stone rubble with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs with apex crosses to the gables.

West tower, nave, chancel, north aisle and south porch. Tall west tower of three stages. Rectangular stair turret on north side. Embattled parapet. Set back buttresses with tablets decorated with two Tudor roses built into first stage of each buttress. Tall Perpendicular transomed two light bell-openings on each side with louvres except to west which has been blocked and a single straight-headed light inserted. Tall windows of two round-arched lights to middle stage above perp style mainly C19 west window of four lights with headmould and pointed arched west doorway with labelled hoodmould and moulded surround. C19 two light pointed arched window the quatrefoil traceried hand to left of south porch. C15 porch with depressed pointed arched doorway with Pevsner 'B' type moulded surround and replaced stiff leaf capitals slate sundial above by John Berry dated 1762 and now niche over. C15 waggon roof with moulded ribs and purlins with carved bosses and end demi-bosses at the intersections. C19 pointed arched windows to left, one of three lights to nave and two of two light to chancel. Three light east window with pointed arched corbelled hoodmould. Pair of two narrow trefoil headed lights with plate tracery to north aisle east end, three pointed arched windows of two lights to north side and tall two light window to east end which has chimney pot with crenellated cap to the gable.

Interior: original C19 interior fittings largely intact and of high quality arch-braced C19 roofs to nave and north aisle. The chancel waggon-roof is ceiled and elaborately painted with stars, and panels of winged saints interspersed with floriated panels etc. C19 north corridor of three bays with short piers of four semi-circular half shafts, moulded capitals and human head corbels to the outer lip of the arch. Unmoulded virtually semi-circular headed tall tower arch. Pointed chancel arch with human head corbels and triple cluster of engaged columns with moulded capitals.

Chancel: Trefoil headed preserves to north and south walls. Stone reredos of four blind trefoil-headed niches each side of marble surround to triptych scene painted on leather. Altar table with three open panels to front with intersecting tracery. Elaborate patterned tiled floor. C19 choir stalls, carved with running foliage. The front benches with open traceried backs and fleur-de-lys bench end finials.

Nave: Shoulder-headed doorway to rood loft stairs. Semi-circular timber drum to pulpit on stone base, the drum pierced with seven quatrefoils above trefoil headed lights, with original paintwork intact. C19 nave seating. C19 font on stem of a half-shaft.

North aisle: Elaborate chapel at east end dedicated to the Openshaw family and relations of Thomas Openshaw, the rector responsible for founding the north aisle; enclosed by timber parclose screens on two sides, seven bays to south side, four bays and central doorway on west side, with fleur-de-lys finials to the triangular heads of the cusped lights and crenellated top rail. On north side is a sedilia of five bays with trefoil-headed niches divided by marble colonnettes and with quatrefoils containing shields in the spandrels. The inner arches of the windows lighting the chapel spring from slender marble colonnettes with quatrefoil tracery above the trefoil-headed lights.

Wall monuments: Nave, south side C17 slate tablet to Elizabeth Randal. Pair of C18 slate tablets giving 'An Exact Account' of all the Rectors of the parish since the reign of Queen Elizabeth, also giving details concerning the building of the Parsonage. C18 slate tablet to right with winged angels bust to head, skull, shield and hour glass to base with inscription to members of Richards family, and C17 slate tablet with inscription to Richard and Elizabeth Richards. At west end of nave late C18 slate tablet on south side to members of Richards family and on north side early C19 tablet to Charles Sweet, Rector and wife. Large stone slab below inscribed John Knight (d.1650).

Stained Glass: C19 glazing complete of square-leaded panes with coloured margin panes. East window by Moore of London, in memory of J. O. Openshaw (d.1861). North aisle. Fine east window to James and Ann Pilling. North side, two windows, one to James Openshaw (d.1857) and one to Frederick Loveband and Mary Smyth, 1894, by Oswald Fleuss.

Listing NGR: SS6227543831

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17531750

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  For the Record
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6