Description

TQ6757
1156-0/2/68

WEST MALLING
HIGH STREET
Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin

25/08/59

(Formerly Listed as: HIGH STREET, Church of St Mary)

GV
II*
Parish church. Norman west tower, C13 chancel, vestry C14 and C15 altered in C20 with nave and aisles of 1901-03 by Micklethwaite mainly replacing an earlier classical design of 1778 by Guilt. Built of ragstone rubble, nave and aisles of coursed rubble with Bath stone dressings and Portland stone plinth. Tiled roof and shingled spire. West tower, nave with north and south aisles, north porch, chancel and vestry.

West tower of three stages. Crenellated parapet and broached shingled spire surmounted by gilded weathervane. Corner buttresses. West face has louvred lancet window to bell storey. Ground floor has arched doorcase with renewed hood moulding and C18 six-panelled arched door, one panel having metal grille. South face has one lancet to lower floors and large gault brick round-headed arch to bell stage. East face has two louvred trefoiled windows to bell stage. Broached shingled spire.

Nave and aisles are of galleted ragstone blocks with Bath stone dressings and Portland stone plinth. Clerestorey. Crenellated parapet to aisles. North aisle has two triple Kentish traceried windows, buttress and gabled porch with cross-shaped saddlestone. South aisle has three similar windows. West wall of south aisle has remains of 1778 aisle with Portland stone end quoins. East wall of nave, north aisle, and south aisle retains c1778 end wall with oculus with four keystones to nave dated 1780, Portland stone quoins and cambered blocked windows with keystones to north and south aisles. Later cross-shaped saddlestone to apex of gable.

Chancel has restored triple lancet east window and north front has two restored lancets and C13 arched doorcase with dogtooth moulding. Vestry attached to south is C14 and C15 in origin but much restored in C20. Built of stone rubble with band of ironstone, ironstone door surround and timber-framed gable.

Interior: Nave of four bays with half bay at west end with organ gallery over. Balcony has in centre elaborately carved wooden arms of James II. Organ gallery has two wooden and two stone tablets with list of benefactions. Gallery stairs have unusual fretted balustrading and squared newel posts with finial. Font in C14 style and C18 style Wren style font. Aisle walls have series of good C18 wall monuments. Floor slabs including one basalt slab. Five canted boarded roof with crenellations.
Chancel has C13 collar beam roof, C14 archway to vestry in south wall and remains of C13 sedilia which was partially obscured by the early C17 Brett Monument. This is a fine monument in alabaster and plaster to Sir Robert Brett d 1620, his wife and son. This comprises a deep plinth and round-headed canopy over supported on double Ionic columns with decorations of shields and putti. Full-sized horizontal effigies of Sir Robert and Lady Brett in attitudes of prayer with kneeling daughter to right and skeleton in shroud to left. C17 wall tablet to Dame Jane Fitzjames to north aisle. Early C16 brass to Elizabeth Pierrepoint, but only the top half of the body survives and brass to William Millys d 1497, 15 1/2 in brass of a civilian. Good C18 wall tablets.

Listing NGR: TQ6789657537

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17547060

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

• 
  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of Historic Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2