Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

St Marys, Goudhurst. Sandstone. Aisles nave, chancel with chapels. West Tower, 1638-40, short and thick with just the mixture of Classical and Gothic found elsewhere in the 1630s. The exterior of the Church looks Perpendicular but widened aisles hide earlier work within: 13th century evidence in the chancel; Two and a half bays of the north arcade are 13th century; the south arcade, the arches to the north chapel and the chancel arch are all 14th century. South west vestry added in the restoration c. 1865-70.

Summary from record TQ 73 NW 97:

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1200 to 1918

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)
• SMUGGLERS CACHE (Post Medieval - 1700 AD? to 1750 AD?)

Full description

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(TQ 72383781) St Mary's Church (NAT) (1)

Church of St. Mary, High Street, Goudhurst. Grade A. Chancel with North and South Chapels, Nave with Aisles and West Tower. The Chancel and Nave are C.13: the North and south Chapels and AislesC.15: The Tower 1638-40. (2)

In normal use. (3)

St Mary, Goudhurst. Sandstone. Aisles nave, chancel with chapels. West Tower, 1638-40, short and thick with just the mixture of Classical and Gothic found elsewhere in the 1630s. The exterior of the Church looks Perpendicular but widened aisles hide earlier work within: 13th century evidence in the chancel; Two and a half bays of the north arcade are 13th century; the south arcade, the arches to the north chapel and the chancel arch are all 14th century. South west vestry added in the restoration c. 1865-70. (4)

A tunnel is believed to run form the church to the nearby Star and Eagle Inn (TQ 73 NW 21). (5)

Description from record TQ 73 NW 97:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
GOUDHURST CHURCH ROAD TQ 7237-7337 (south side) 15/118 Church of St Mary 20.6.67 GV I Parish church. C13 to C15, tower rebuilt 1638-40. Restored 1865-70 to designs of Slater and Carpenter; Ewan Christian executant architect. Sandstone with plain tiled roof. Chancel with north and south chapels, nave with aisles, west tower with south west vestry/sacristy. West tower built 1638-40 (the old one destroyed by lightning 1637) for £750 by London builders, Edmund Kinsman, James Holman, John Young. Two stages on plinth with Classical mouldings, and with offset clasping buttresses; that to north east with stair lights and raised to turret. Battle- mented, with 2-light arched belfry windows in square surrounds and early C20 clock face. Three-light west window, a copy of those at St Mary Cree, London, cusped lights, that to centre raised, in moulded squared surround. Classical west door- way, flanked by niches, with rustic half columns supporting entablature and segmental pediment, the doorway with arched and keyed surround on moulded imposts. C19 2-storey vestry with angle vice to south west. South aisle with 5 offset buttresses, with 2 more to separately roofed south east chapel; steeply pitched gabled roof. Projecting canted bay to easternmost bay of aisle. Nave roof with roundel to east gable, and stepped down chancel roof, with exposed jambs on north and south walls of lancets (C19 lancet east window). North aisle and north east chapel built as one operation, separated by projecting vice, the whole buttressed and battlemented with 3-light arched Perpendicular style fenestration, as throughout the church, except chancel, mostly C19 reconstructions based on original evidence. Hood moulded northern door. Attached to the tower and vestry is a railed enclosure with spear head rails with urn finialed principals, enclos- ing 2 iron crosses, with respective footstones, to the Bathurst family. Interior: chamfered tower arch with octagonal shafts, in chamfered surround. Five-bay arcades, the easternmost bay widened with complex C15 pier with attached shafts and moulded, part of alterations to accommodate now lost rood screen. Alternate round and octagonal piers to south, all C14, western bays of north aisle with round piers C13, with C14 pier, octagonal, then C15 east bay. Roof with 2 crown posts to west end, and C19 reconstructed boarded roof to east. South aisle with hollow chamfered doorways and bay recess to east (for Culpepper tomb). Roof with arched trusses on brackets with iron tier and traces of original C14 painted decoration. North aisle with C19 cross-beamed roof and hollow chamfered north and stair doorways. Double hollow chamfered arch to south chapels, and to chancel, and roll moulded arch with attached shafts to north chapel. Chancel with 2-bay arcades, that to north of a piece with arch to north aisle, that to south earlier, with octagonal pier and responds and hollow chamfered arches. Exposed jambs of C13 lancets to north and south, and C15 south window, now infilled. C19 moulded string course. East window and barred-vaulted wooden ceiling on ancient tie- beams. South chapel with roll moulded corbel string to stone bracketed arch- trussed barrel roof, a form of hammer beam structure. Fittings: simple arched piscina and hollow chamfered aumbrey in chancel and fine C19 altar rail with iron-twist uprights with tendril brackets. Screen to south chapel with base incorporating C14 or C15 panelling, the upper section carved as a memorial to Great War, with vine leaf frieze and ogee headed panels. Screen to north chapel also incorporates medieval panels. Pulpit with octagonal stone base and steps with iron and brass rails, the main box C13 in style with full relief apostles and evangelical symbols, with brass candlesticks and book rest. Erected 1863 as a memorial to Henry Lake of Goudhurst. Brass 12-stick chandelier presented to the church in 1722. C19 brass lectern. Font in nave on medieval (C15) base, with C19 bowl with evangelical symbols. Medieval bowl in north aisle with arcading and crosses (titched at foot). Monuments: in the north chapel: Edmond Roberts, gent, d.1627, small aedicule with arms and achievement over and Latin inscrip- tion. Richard Pack, d.1838, a half relief lion-footed sarcophagus tablet, signed T Denman, Quadrant, Regent, St Edward Lewis Miller, d.1846; severe Stele with elongated urns, signed T Butler, London (Timothy Butler). In the chancel: William (d.1615) and Rachel (d.1606) Campion. Large hanging monument of quality, with coved base bearing aedicule with broken segmental pediment, with enriched scrolls within pediment, and with allegorised female figures resting on pediment, the whole flanked by obelisks on pedestals. Within the aedicule William and his lady kneel oppsoite each other with prayer desk, their 5 sons and 4 daughters carved on the obelisk pedestals. Enriched throughout with ribband and strapwork embellishments. In the south chapel: brasses to John Bedgebury, d.1424, 39½ inches high armoured man with canopy. Sir John Culpepper, d.1480, 25½ inches with canopy on tomb chest. Walter and Agnes Culpepper (d.1462 and 1457), 25 inch armoured figure and shields, the figure a later addition of c.1520 and unidenti- fied. 'Young' Sir Alexander Culpepper, d.1599, erected 1608 by his son Sir Anthony Alabaster standing wall monument, the base with 11 boys and 5 daughters (grandchildren rather than children), supporting 3 Corinthian columns to cornice, with central scrolled aedicule over with half figure of Sir Thomas Culpepper, an old armoured man holding a skull. Within the frame below Sir Alexander kneels to right with Anthony (his only child) behind, and Lady Mary opposite. Not of the highest quality in execution. In the south aisle: the important monument to 'Old' Sir Alexander Culpepper, d.1537. Lozenge-panelled chest set within its own bay widow, with recumbent wooden effigies with coloured gesso details. In the reveal of one bay are 2 relief panels of God in Majesty, the Virgin and Child and St George and the Dragon, dated 1537 on prayer desk with Knight, Lady and children at prayer. Anthony Fowle (of Twyssenden) d.1679, black marble wall tablet with Latin inscription, with scrolled base and cherub head. Bathurst monuments, plain white and black tablets, and black marble ledger slab with cartouche on moulded panelled shafts, to John Bathurst, d.1697 and known as the 'Bread tomb' (because the 'dole' of bread was laid out on it), and grey marble tablet, to Edward Bathurst, d.1772, pilastered with damaged open segmental pediment. Also in the south chapel a large, simple white marble tablet, with aedicule and a half-bust turned to left of periwinkled William Campoin, d.1702. Attributed stylistically to William Bird. Rugged benefaction and prayer boards in tower. Fragments of C15 glass in south west window. Lead-panels dated 1811 recording churchwardens. The church and churchyard were in 1747 the scene of a full-scale battle between the Goudhurst Militia, led by 'General' George Sturt (a former soldier) and the Hawkhurst Gang, probably the largest and most infamous C18 smuggling organisation, led by Thomas Kingswill (whose brother and 2 others of the gang died in the battle). Sturt ended his days warden of the local poorhouse, Kingsmill in 1749 on Tyburn Hill (see BOE, Kent I, 1980 297-8; also Church guide, 1974; also Mary Waugh, Smuggling in Kent and Sussex, 1700-1890, 1985). Listing NGR: TQ7239437810 (6)

In 2011 a watching brief was maintained on works on the church. During cutting of a door through the south wall of the tower worked stones were found reused in the 17th century fabric: a hoodmold probably of 13th or early 14th century date and part of a wall side column possibly from a window, probably of 13th century origin. Two brick vaults were exposed in the western end of the nave, thought to be the Ollive family vaults, used between 1777 and 1852. (7)

HE archive material: BF061517 ST MARYS CHURCH, GOUDHURST File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.

<1> OS 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE48369.

<2> MHLG Cranbrook RD Nov 1960 43 No 20/1 (OS Card Reference). SKE47110.

<3> F1 CFW 04.02.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42410.

<4> Newman, J., 1980, Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 297-8 (J Newman) (Monograph). SKE7817.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 73 NW 1 - February, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3706.

<5> Hufton, G & Baird, E., 1983, Scarecrows Legion: Smuggling in Kent and Sussex, Page 92 (Monograph). SKE7997.

<6> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<7> Guy Beresford, 2011, The Parish Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Goudhurst (Unpublished document). SKE24055.

Sources and further reading