Description

TR 04 SE BROOK THE STREET
(East side)

4/58 Church of St.
Mary
27.11.57

GV I

Parish church. 1096-1107, for Prior Ernulf of Christ Church,
Canterbury. Flint, in parts laid herringbone pattern, with Quarr and
Caen stone dressings. Plain tiled roof. Chancel, nave with north
porch, and Westwerk tower. Three stage tower, the ground area
virtually as great as the (by no means small) nave. South-eastern
angle stair turret, rising in several uneven stages. String courses
and parapet with small lancets throughout. C15 2 light west window
with C15 moulded arched doorway below in C11 outer arch, with same
re-used tooled C11 blocks in spandrel. Blocked simple chamfered
C11 south doorway. C19 north porch with simple chamfered pointed
arched doorway. Decorated style 3 light window in north nave wall,
and inserted lancets to Chancel. Deep recess to low opening in
chancel north wall. Interior: tall and massive tower arch, rebated
and with rope moulded abaci carried across west wall of nave.
Complete and wide spiral staircase with tower, with chapel on first
floor, with 3 finely moulded arches on east wall, the centre with
a pile of rubble attached - all that remains of an altar. C12 wall
painting of Christ blessing over the arches. The presence of this
chapel makes of the tower a Continental style Westwerk - simple
rafter roof to nave. Simple low chancel arch on imposts, with round
headed recess to north and evidence of rood door over. Chancel with
beam ends in north and south walls. Boarded and ribbed chancel
roof. Fittings: re-set stone altar slab. Roll moulded almond shaped
opening in north wall corresponding to exterior niche (possibly for
ringing the sanctus bell, locally attributed to use by an anchorite).
Wood lined aumbrey in north wall; and sedile with moulded hood.
Medieval encaustic tiles in sanctuary. Wall paintings; chancel,
trecusped piscina; a scheme of roundels with scenes of Christ's
Nativity, on all three walls, those on east wall interrupted by new
East window c.1280, and overpainted with masonry and cross-pattern
with painted cusped arches over. Nave painting also from c1280,
larger roundels with scenes of a saint's life. North wall with
some C14 figures, large St. Christopher over north door, and 2 C17
texts in flamboyant cartouches. Royal Coat of Arms in tower. (See
B.O.E. Kent II 1983, 164-5; church guide).

Listing NGR: TR0677144589

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17529379

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.

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