Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1100 to 1872 St Mary And Holycross Church

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 95 NW 1:
[TQ 9035 5876] Church [NAT] (1) Milsted. Church mentioned in taxation of Pope Nicholas IV in A.D. 1291. Comprises a west tower, nave with south porch, chancel, and on the northern side a chapel now belonging to the Tylden family. The tower is Perpendicular but the outside walls of the building have been much too altered to show the style or date. The Tylden chancel has a pair of lancet windows; the two arches opening thence to the church are pointed; and the ornaments on the capitals are Tr. Norman which is likewise the case with some capitals appearing in the opposite wall. There is a north door, but closed; and the windows retain small portions of coloured glass. (2) Milsted - The church of St. Mary and Holycross has north aisles to both chancel and nave, and a Perpendicular W. tower, restored 1872. The old work that remains is of the three Pointed periods. In the north side of the chancel is a c. 1190 arcade. The double hinged south door is 15th century. There are good Early English windows in the chancel. (3) [Brief architectural description.] (4) In normal use. (5) Parish Church of St. Mary and the Holy Cross, Grade II*, Rawling Street (west side). 12th to 13th century chancel, 15th century nave and west tower. Restored and enlarged 1872. (For full description see list.) (6) [TQ 9035 5875] Church of St. Mary and the Holy Cross [NAT] (7)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 95 NW MILSTEAD RAWLING STREET (west side)
Milstead 4/126 Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross 24.1.67 GV II*
Parish church. C12-13 chancel, C15 nave and west tower. Restored and enlarged 1872 by William Butterfield. Flint and plaster with plain tiled roofs. West tower, aisleless nave, chancel with south and north chapels south porch. Two stage tower with string course and cornice to balllements and north-west octagonal vice. Double chamfered west doorway, with 2 light C15 Perp. windows and belfry lights. Nave on plinth with 2 light Perp. windows north and south. C19 half-timber and weatherboard south porch, with C15 double hinged door (i.e. half-leaf or entire door opens) in double hollow chamfered surround. Three eastern chapels all Cl9 exterior though lancers in chancel are original. Interior: short nave with hollow chamfered tower arch surround with attached shafts and octagonal capitals, with chamfered arch. Roof of 3 crown posts the easternmost shortened to raise over chancel arch, on flat, heavilu moulded ties. Chancel arch with double hollow chamfer on octagonal responds with corbels on inner face (for a lost rood screen probably). Chancel, originally 2 bays, with chapels added to north and south c.1200. Two bay araced to north, with round pier, square moulded abacus chamfered at the corners, with debased upright acanthus leaves in pairs, fillet rolls on arches, and corbel tables on responds. This is all identical to and by the same hand as work in Bapchild, Doddington, Frinsted and Murston (see Bapchild: Church of St Lawrence). Chancel extended east- wards 2 bays in later C13 - the original quoins visible internally. Paired lancets north and south, the reveals of the 2 westerly taken down to floor level, with drip moulds. Renewed windows, C19 wagon roof. Mutilated capitals to south arch with the paired upright leaf motif and nook shafts all that survives of pre-Butterfield date in south chapel. The north chapel is also entirely Butterfield (or B.O.E. Kent II Suggest R.C. Hussey c.1855). Fittings: sedile and piscina ensuite in chancel with double chamfered surround. Painted tryptych reredos, altar rails, glass add date from 1870's, as do 2 wrought iron lamp stands, 7 feet high with giled details. In the nave, the pulpit, lectern, benches, wrought iron screen to tower and octagonal font are all likewise persumably by Butterfield. Monuments: marble and cast iron wall plaques to various C19 members to the Tylden family in the north chapel, two of note, Elizabeth Tylden d.1839, tablet with bust; William and Richard Tylden d.1854 and 1855, by R.C. Hussey. Two tabernacles crocketted with attached marble shafts, integrated with double lancet windows with moulded surrounds and attached shafts above the monument. Smaller, plainer copy to left to Charlotte Tylden d.1858. (See B.O.E. Kent II, 388).
Listing NGR: TQ9041058818 (9)

<1> OS 6" 1938-48 (OS Card Reference). SKE48355.

<2> Churches of Kent Surrey and Sussex 1852 14 104 (A Hussey) (OS Card Reference). SKE38991.

<3> Kent Little Guide 1935 6th Edition 222 (J C Cox) (OS Card Reference). SKE45916.

<4> Notes on Churches in Kent 1877 163-164 (S R Glynne) (OS Card Reference). SKE47690.

<5> F1 ASP 07-Jul-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE41982.

<6> DOE (HHR) Kent Boro of Swale 21 3 85 48 (OS Card Reference). SKE40573.

<7> OS 1:2500 1969 (OS Card Reference). SKE48211.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 95 NW 1 - July, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4807.

<9> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading