Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

11th century church with 13th to 15th century additions (restored 1874). Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1100 to 1877. Church. 12th century, circa 1533, restored 1873-77 by Sir A Blomfield. West tower, nave, separate chancel, north aisle and chapel. Random rubble, tiled roofs.

Monument Types

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

Full description

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[TQ 68945893] St. Peter and St. Paul's Church [NAT] (1) The small church at Leybourne is dedicated to St. Peter and St. Paul. [History of church given from temp. EDW I 1272-1309] (2) The church consists of nave and chancel, refenestrated probably in the last century, modern rebuilt west tower, north aisle with 15th c. twin-light windows, and south porch with small square-headed windows, and plain pointed-arched doorways. There is a blocked-up round-headed Norman light high in the south wall of the nave. The nave and chancel walls are of plastered rubble. List of rectors in church from 1276. The church is in use for ecclesiastical pruposes. AO/59/55/6 from south-east. The church contains two crowns believed to be votive gifts to Leybourne Church by Edward I and his Queen on the occasion of their royal visit to the castle nearby on 25 October, 1286. (3) 11th c. nave, rebuilt Early English chancel, 15th c. added north aisle. 1874, church restored and Norman tower encased with present Victorian tower. Original windows within. (4) In normal use. (5) Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, Leybourne. Grade B. Parish church. Chancel and nave, each with aisle, south porch, and modern western tower. There are some blocked Norman windows on the south side. The arcades and east window of chancel are Decorated, although considerably restored in 1874. [For full description see list]. (6) St Peter and St Paul, Leybourne. Nave and separate chancel and a west tower, casing an old one, as part of Sir A. Blomfield's restoration of1873-7. North aisle and chapel, perhaps as late as c1533. The original building Norman, with one south nave window to show it. A second pre-arch can be seen inside, and pretty 13th century trails painted on the splays of the intact window. North arcade still the 14th century standard., octagonal piers and double chamfered arches. Large pointed recess at the south east corner of the nave; c1200, suggests a much battered leaf corbel. South west lancet in the chancel set in a shafted blank arch, partly masked by the chancel arch, which came with the north arcade. Heart shrine, 13th century, traditionally connected with Sir Roer de Leybourne who died in 1271. Curiosa - two wrought iron crowns. (7) Detailed description of the Heart-Shrine in Leybourne Church. (8) Listed Grade II*. (9)

In 2003 an archaeological evaluation was carried out in the churchyard in advance of an extension.

Trench A was 2.5m x 1.5m x 1.2m deep and was excavated to assess whether or not any structural remains existed projecting out from the north-west corner of the church wall. No such features were seen though the structural phasing of the church wall was revealed. Six phases were seen: the west wall of the nave, the addition of a butress to a corner of the original nave, the addition of a north aisle, the addition of an earlier tower and refacing of the wall, the blocking of a window in the west wall of the north aisle, the construction of the 19th century tower.15th century and later grave cuts were also found.

Trench B was c. 10m west of the west end of the church, c.1.5 m x 1.5m in size and was excavated to a depth of 1 m. It contained 6 or 7 grave cuts, probably post medievaland largely 19th century in date. A number of grave markers were also found and recorded.(12)

Description from record TQ 65 NE 313:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
LEYBOURNE CP MALLING ROAD TQ 65 NE (west side) 7/201 Church of St Peter and 25.8.59 St Paul
- II*
Church. C12, C1533, restored 1873-77 by Sir A Blomfield. West tower, nave, separate chancel, north aisle and chapel. Random rubble, tiled roofs. Tower: 4 stages, separated by bands, a re-casing of 1873-77. Embattled with inset machiocolations, and prominent water-spouts at corner. 2-light neo-Norman belfry openings, tall slits on 2 stages below and curvilinear west window. Nave: 2 bays with one C12 window to south. Chancel: one bay. North aisle and chapel: 3 two-light windows with square-headed surrounds. Interior: North arcade, C14 octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches. Chancel arch, double- chamfered, originally from north arcade. Fittings: Heart Shrine: Traditionally that of Sir Roger de Laybourne, d.1271. Double arched recess in single arch. 2 free-standing gabled caskets with geometrical patterning. 2 wrought-iron crowns. Monument, Louisa Brockman, d.1837, by J S Westmacott, 1866. Tablet flanked by relief figures. Listing NGR: TQ6858258935 (14)

<1> OS 6" 1936 (OS Card Reference). SKE48337.

<2> History of Kent 2 1782 211 (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44104.

<3> F1 ASP 06-AUG-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE41958.

<4> Short Account of Leybourne Church 3rd Ed 1956 (Canon H W Thorne) (OS Card Reference). SKE49451.

<5> F2 FGA 19-FEB-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43329.

<6> MHLG Malling RD Kent 6 May 1950 56 (OS Card Reference). SKE46900.

<7> The Buildings of England West Kent and the Weald 1980 379 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50231.

<8> Arch Cant V 1863 133-193 (L B Larking) (OS Card Reference). SKE36368.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 18 - August, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3307.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 65 NE 18 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3308.

<11> DNH List Feb-1987 (OS Card Reference). SKE39781.

<12> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2003, An archaeological evaluation at the church of St Peter and St Paul, Leybourne (Unpublished document). SKE15637.

<13> Diocese of Rochester (Tim Tatton-Brown), ?, Leybourne, St Peter and Paul:Diocesan church survey (Unpublished document). SKE29639.

<14> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading