Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

13th-15thc church. Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1300 to 1828. The South aisle is 13th century, the west tower, nave, north aisle and chancel are 15th century. There is no chancel arch. Modern vestry on north side of chancel.Birling was one of the early minsters founded in Kent before 700.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1300 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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(TQ 68016061) All Saints' Church (NAT) (1) The Church of All Saints, Birling: The oldest part of the fabric is the north aisle but the whole church appears to have been rebuilt c.1300. (2) History of church from 1168 detailed. (3) A plan within the church shows the south aisle to be 13th c., the west tower, nave, north aisle and chancel to be 15th c. There is no chancel arch. Modern vestry on north side of chancel. See illustrations card - AO/59/59/8. In normal use. (4) 18/1 Church of All Saints, Birling. Grade II. Parish Church. Externally this building has a fine colour and is situated to advantage on a bank. In the main the church is Perpendicular, and has an elegant western tower with angle buttresses and pyramidal roof; nave and aisles; the walls of the large chancel are adorned with Nevill hatchments and in the centre of the floor is a curious trap door leading to the family vault beneath. Brass in south aisle to Walter Mylys, 1522. (5) All Saints, Birling. Perpendicular west tower. Diagonal buttresses; south east turret; battlements. Nave and gabled aisles of the early 14th century. standard four bay arcades. Trefoiled lancets, and a pair of them ogeed in the south aisle. One two-light north window. The chancel is a 16th century rebuilding, the windows eccentrically distributed. Only the south west one has cusping of the lights. Six-light east window. The chancel is notably wide but does without a chancel arch. Its present appearance is largely due to a refitting c.1828 a minimal Gothic style by the Nevill family. (6) Additional bibliography - not consulted. (7) Listed Grade I. (8)

Description from record TQ 66 SE 109:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
BIRLING CP HIGH STREET TQ 66 SE (south side) 3/109 25.8.59 Church of All Saints
- I
Church. Early C14, C15 and C16, refitted c1828. Random and dressed ragstone. West tower, nave, north and south aisles and chancel. 3 stage tower separated by bands, embattled with taller pyramidal-capped octagonal south-east stair turret. Stepped diagonal buttresses. Paired lancet belfry openings in square-headed panels, single light window below. Large 2-light arched perpendicular window below over moulded pointed arched west doorway in square-headed panel. Nave obscured by aisles, both eccentric mixture of C15 and C16 windows. Chancel rebuilt in C16 again with eccentric mixture of windows. 6-light east windows. Interior: 3-bay nave with hollow chamfered arches on octagonal piers. Wooden trusses to plastered nave barrel vault. No chancel arch. Fittings: Wood font cover in neo-Gothic style, 4 tiers, 1853. Stained glass of 1840's in east window. 2 C16 tilting helms with Jacobean crests. 2 poppy-heads on bench ends. Brass of civilian, Walter Mylys, d. 1522. Chancel fittings, c.1828 in minimal neo-Gothic style.
Listing NGR: TQ6767861234 (11)

Archive material: OP25086 All Saints Church viewed from the road to the south

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

<2> Notes by Wm Rust (OS Card Reference). SKE47685.

<3> Trans Dartford Dist AS vol 1 1931 17 (OS Card Reference). SKE50643.

<4> Hist of Kent vol 4 1798 485 ff (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44013.

<5> F1 ASP 18.06.59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42157.

<6> DOE(HHR) Dist of Malling RD Kent 1950 15 (OS Card Reference). SKE40980.

<7> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 172-173 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37852.

<8> All Saints Church Birling 1961 A.A. (OS Card Reference). SKE32992.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 66 SE 9 - June, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3553.

<10> DNH List Feb-1987 p.39 (OS Card Reference). SKE39782.

<11> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading