Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

13th century Church with later additions. Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1200 to 1886

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 68525368] Church [TU] (1) The church of Wateringbury, dedicated to St. John Baptist, is an ancient Gothic Building. The church was an appendage of the manor of Canons-court having been given in temp. Henry II to the prior and canons of Leeds. (2) The church, mentioned in Domesday, is a much restored 15th C. building with a 13C tower. (3) A plan within the church shows the tower and chancel as 13c, nave with north and south aisles as modern rebuilding together with arcades and north vestry, and south porch containing 15c. windows. The chancel east window, probaly 14c. A drawing of the church in 1852 shows it to consist of tower, nave and chancel only. The chancel walls appear to have been refaced externally. The church is used for ecclesiastical purposes. (4) Checked and correct: in normal use. (5) TQ 65 SE WATERINGBURY TONBRIDGE ROAD (north side) 2/95 Church of Saint John the Baptist 25.8.59 II* Parish Church. Late medieval with C13 tower and chancel. Nave, north and south aisles, chancel. Rendered west tower with shingled spire (rebuilt in 1886). Nave, C15, rebuilt by Joseph Clarke, who added south aisle, 1856. North aisle 1883-84, W O Milne. Ragstone with Bath stone dressings, slate roofs. Two of the tall 3-light perpendicular windows survive as west windows of the aisles. Old roof in the nave with tie-beams on stone demi-angels. Chancel, C13, with windows inserted in C15. Gabled C15 porch. Tomb with marble doubled Ionic columns supporting segmental hoods, dated 1628, to Olyver Style. d.1622. (6,7)

Description from record TQ 65 SE 193:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 65 SE WATERINGBURY TONBRIDGE ROAD (north side)
2/95 Church of Saint John the Baptist 25. 8.59
- II*
Parish Church,Late medieval with C13 tower and chancel. Nave, north and south aisles, chancel. Rendered west tower with shingled spire (rebuilt in 1886). Nave, C15, rebuilt by Joseph Clarke, who added south aisle, 1856. North aisle 1883-84, W O Milne. Ragstone with Bath stone dressings, slate roofs. Two of the tall 3-light perpendicular windows survive as west windows of the aisles. Old roof in the nave with tie-beams on stone demi-angels. Chancel, C13, with windows inserted in C15. Gabled C15 porch. Tomb with marble doubled Ionic columns supporting segmental hoods, dated 1628, to Olyver Style, d.1622. Listing NGR: TQ6852753603 (10)

<1> OS 6" 1907-38 (OS Card Reference). SKE48320.

<2> History of Kent, Vol.5 (1798) pp.116 ff (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44149.

<3> A Saunter thro' Kent with Pen and Pencil Vol 22 (1928) pp. 67 ff (C. Igglesden) (OS Card Reference). SKE32850.

<4> F1 ASP 05-JUN-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41944.

<5> F2 CFW 12-FEB-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43226.

<6> DOE(HHR) Boro of Tonbridge & Malling, Kent, April 1985, 71 (OS Card Reference). SKE40852.

<7> The Buildings of England, West Kent and the Weald 1980 592-593 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50250.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 65 SE 17 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3427.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 65 SE 17 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3428.

<10> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading