Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

St Martin's Church, Canterbury, has a 7th century nave and a chancel probably older but altered in the 14th century. It is reputed to be the oldest parish church in England and is on the same site as a church used by Roman Christians. This is supposed to be the church outside the city walls where, before the Conversion of England to Christianity, Queen Bertha worshipped with her chaplain Bishop Liudhard. The Saxon font is traditionally associated with the baptism of King Ethelbert. The exterior is built of bands of flint, Roman brick and rubble. There is a tiled roof and a squat 14th century crenellated tower.

Summary from record TR 15 NE 665:

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 600 to 1649

Monument Types

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (CHURCH, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• CHURCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Modern - 600 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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(TR 15865775) St Martin's Church (GT). (1) St Martin's Church, Canterbury, has a 7thc nave and a chancel probably older but altered in the C14th. It is said to be the site of the earliest church in England and the walls contain Roman bricks. (2) In normal use. (3) Reputed to be the oldest Parish Church in England. On the same site was a church used by Roman Christians. This is supposed to be the church outside the city walls where, before the Conversion, Queen Bertha worshipped with her chaplain Bishop Liudhard. The Saxon font is traditionally associated with the baptism of King Ethelbert. The exterior is built of bands of flint, Roman brick and rubble. Tiled roof and squat C14 crenellated tower. The interior contains a C7 chancel, altered in the C14, a Norman piscina and holy water stoup and a Squint. There is a memorial tablet to Sir John Finch, Speaker of the House of Commons in the reign of Charles I. (4) Additional bibliography. (5-20) Additional bibliography - not consulted. (21-23) St Martin's Church. Elevations and a plan of all the visible early walls has been made at 1/20. (24-25) St Martin: 7th century foundation with ? earlier Roman building. 14th century tower. Vestry added to north east in 1845. (26) The earliest work may well be Roman, the west wall of the chancel with doorway and perhaps the west wall. Much of the rest of the structure is 7th century with late Norman extension to the chancel and 14th century tower. 19th century vestry on north side, 1845. (27) Additional bibliography. (28)

Description from record TR 15 NE 665:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
944 ST MARTIN'S HILL Church of St Martin TR 1557 NE 6/161 3.12.49 I Reputed to be the oldest Parich Church in England. On the same site was a church bused by Roman Christians. This is supposed to be the church outside the city walls where, before the Conversion, Queen Bertha worshipped with her chaplin Bishop Liudhard. THe Saxon font is traditionally associated with the baptism of King Ethelbert. The exterior is built of bands of flint, Roman brick and rubble. tiled roof and squat C14 crenellated tower. The interior contains a C7 chancel, altered in the C14, a Norman piscina and holy water stoup and a Squint. There is a memorial tablet to Sir John FInch, Speaker of the HOuse of Commons in the reign of Charles I.
Listing NGR: TR1586557758 (30)

Historic England archive material (31)

<1> OS 1/2500 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48127.

<2> MHLG (944/11/A Mar 1962) 48 (OS Card Reference). SKE47039.

<3> F1 ASP 02-FEB-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE41893.

<4> DOE (HHR) City of Canterbury Kent Sept 1973 235 (OS Card Reference). SKE40064.

<5> BOE NE & E Kent 1983 240-242 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38206.

<6> Arch J 53 1896 314-6 (J T Micklethwaite) 378-9 (C F Routledge) (OS Card Reference). SKE36648.

<7> Arch Cant 14 1882 108 (CF Routledge) (OS Card Reference). SKE34708.

<8> Arch J 58 1901 413-418 (CR Peers) (OS Card Reference). SKE36659.

<9> Arch Cant 22 1897 1-28 (CF Routledge) (OS Card Reference). SKE34839.

<10> Arch Cant 15 1883 56 (CF Routledge) (OS Card Reference). SKE34736.

<11> Arch J 84 1927 463-64 (J Hardcastle) (OS Card Reference). SKE36698.

<12> JBAA 45 1889 180 (CF Routledge) (OS Card Reference). SKE44984.

<13> JBAA 43 1887 205 (W de G Birch) (OS Card Reference). SKE44980.

<14> JBAA 41 1885 62 (EP Loftus Brock) (OS Card Reference). SKE44979.

<15> JBAA 40 1884 47-51 (CF Routledge) (OS Card Reference). SKE44977.

<16> The Arts in Early England 2 1925 447 (G Baldwin Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE50095.

<17> Anglo Saxon Archit 3 1978 1098 (HM Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE33073.

<18> Arch in Sussex to AD 1500 1978 81 (PL Drewett) (OS Card Reference). SKE36513.

<19> Arch Anglo-Saxon Eng 1976 157 163 171-2 (DM Wilson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34476.

<20> Arch J 126 1969 233-5 (F Jenkins) (OS Card Reference). SKE36543.

<21> CBA/BAA Innes Review 19 1968 129-143 (OS Card Reference). SKE38939.

<22> Eng Roman Arch before the Conquest 1930 24 38 (E Clapham) (OS Card Reference). SKE41601.

<23> Munimenta Antiqua 3 1804 146 (E King) (OS Card Reference). SKE47474.

<24> CAT Ann Rep 1978-9 18 20 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38657.

<25> CAT Ann Rep 6 1981-2 35 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38681.

<26> CBA churches Comm Bull 25 1989 - compiled 1984 - 12 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38775.

<27> Hist Builds Survey Cant City Council/RCHME 57035 11 of 29 (OS Card Reference). SKE43878.

<28> European Towns 1977 490 491-2 (M Barley) (OS Card Reference). SKE41667.

<29> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1992, Canterbury, St Martin: Diocesan church survey (Unpublished document). SKE29608.

<30> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<31> Historic England, Archive material associated with St Martin's Church, Canterbury, Listed Building (Archive). SKE54602.

Sources and further reading

Related thematic articles

• Anglo-Saxon Kent (Period Overview)