Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Built in 1395-8 as a collegiate church on the site of the earlier church of St. Mary, continuing as the parish church. Largely unaltered besides alterations to internal fittings which took place in the 17th and 19th centuries, although the tower was destroyed in 1730 and never rebuilt. In 1871 the great east window was heightened, and in 1885-6 the whole church was re-roofed and its exterior restored. The north porch was added in 1927.

Summary from record TQ 75 NE 766:

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1066 to 1886

Monument Types

• COLLEGIATE CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1395 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 7600 5542] All Saint's Church (NAT) (1) All Saint's Church, Maidstone - 1395/8 Collegiate Church. The tower was destroyed in 1730 and never rebuilt. [For college see TQ 75 NE 36]. (2) In normal use. (3) Parish Church of All Saints. Grade A. Begun in 1395 by Archbishop Courtenay as a Collegiate church and continued by Archbishop Arundel in 1396-1398. (4) Additional bibliography. (5-16, 18)
This was one of the most important churches in Kent, and must have the remains of an Anglo-Saxon (perhaps cruciform) church beneath it. This earlier church of St Mary, which is mentioned in Domesday Book, was no doubt enlarged and rebuilt in the period between the late 11th and late 14th century, but in c.1395 it was demolished by Archbishop Courtenay so that he could build a very large new collegiate church. Despite various suggestions in the earlier literature (Cave-Browne, etc.), there is no evidence that the present church contains above-ground walling of a pre-1395 date. Both the chancel and the large nave (both of them aisled) were almost certainly built between June 1396 (when Archbishop Courtenay was allowed to take 24 masons called `fre maceons' and 24 masons called `ligiers' (stone layers) for the works of the college) and the early 15th century when Archbishop Arundel helped finish off the work. There is a continuous plinth all around the outside.

This very large church is, therefore, unusual in being all of one style of c.1395-1405, which John Harvey attributes to Henry Yevele. It certainly has close connections with the rebuilt nave and S.W. transept in Canterbury Cathedral both historically and architecturally. The nave with its aisles is of great size, 99 ft. (east-west) by 93 ft. internally, while the chancel, and its much smaller aisles, is a perfect square of 60ft. The whole church is c.187 feet long externally (including buttresses) but is relatively low in height. The south porch, however, was also a tower, and until 1730 it had a c.80ft. high timber-and-lead spire on top of it. The vestry on the south side of the chancel is also contemporary with the rest of the church, though it was heightened in 1849, and an organ-chamber was made immediately to the west of it in 1886. On the north side of the nave, the stair-turret, leading to the roof (and Rood-loft as well originally), is all contemporary with the adjoining walling. The north porch, however, dates from 1927, though there was an earlier flat, battlemented porch there until the mid 19th century.

The nave has slender perpendicular arcades on either side (of six bays) and above this are two-light perpendicular windows with depressed heads. The chancel, and its aisles are raised several steps and have wider arches in the arcades (of three bays), with above them 2-light windows with a daggered-quatrefoil above. Above the clerestory the wall-top is now crenellated, but this only dates from 1886, when the clerestory windows were also heavily restored externally. Before this, however, only the aisle outer walls and the tower top were crenellated.

In 1395, the dedication of the church was changed from St Mary to All Saints, and the nave north aisle was given an altar of Our Lady at its east end. (The whole aisle was also called the `Lady Aisle'). This north aisle is roughly in line with the late 11th century buildings of the Archbishop's Manor/Palace to the west, and it is possible that the north aisle lies over the centre of the earlier church.

Outside the north-east corner of this aisle is a statue niche, now filled with a modern statue. The nave aisle windows are all 4-light early perpendicular ones (except for 2 two-light ones flanking the tower/porch), and these fill almost all the space between the buttresses. At the west end of the aisles are 5-light windows, with a 6-light window at the end of the nave above the west doorway, and 4-light windows above the altars at the east end of the aisles. The south aisle had an altar of St Katherine at its east end (also called the Vinter's chapel), and it is very likely that the whole of the eastern bay of the nave was closed off behind a 93feet long Rood screen. The high up blocked doorway into the Roof loft from the stair-turret on the north can still be seen, though the screen has totally disappeared. It is worth noting, however, that the bench along the south aisle wall stops at this point. There was a similar Rood-screen arrangement in the smaller church of the Holy Cross in Canterbury (rebuilt in c.1380), where the easternmost bay of the nave, with its flanking chapels is screened off.

The porch on the south was originally meant to be vaulted below the tower, but this was never completed, and there is a 15th century moulded-timber ceiling instead. Earlier some of the bells seem (from rubbing marks) to have been rung in the porch, but there are two levels of chambers above the porch below the bell-chamber. The timber roof over the bell-chamber (which has a modern iron bell-frame), is still the timber base for the original spire, with various re-used (and burnt) spire timbers for rafters. (The spire was struck by lightning and burnt on November 2nd 1730). The base of the spire was clearly on four posts (cf. the surviving spire at Wingham), with scissored-braces.

The chancel has two narrow aisles and a high altar on an original raised platform in the central eastern bay. On either side were lower altars: to the Corpus Christi (Holy Name) chapel on the north and St Thomas Becket on the south. Between the sanctuary and St Thomas' chapel is a magnificent canopied 4-seat sedilia (with a double piscina to the east) which doubles as the tomb of the College's first master, John Wotton (ob. 1417) on its south side, where there is a Purbeck marble indent for a (now-robbed) brass over the tomb. Above this there is a fine wall painting on the back wall. The chancel south aisle was perhaps originally meant to be vaulted, as indicated on half piers against the south wall. There is also an original smaller doorway into the eastern bay of the south aisle from the churchyard, with a stoup inside it on the west (and the chapel's piscina not far to the east). The next bay has a door into the vestry, which is lit by several 2-light windows with some internal shutter hooks. Above it was a small chamber (with rectangular windows), and this was heightened into an organ chamber in 1849, and then into the bellows room in 1886, when a new organ chamber was created outside the aisle wall to the west of the vestry. The north chancel aisle also had a small doorway on the north, but this is now blocked up. In the western part of the chancel were 28 fine wooden stalls, with misericordes, for the Master, Chaplain and Clerks of the College. Most regrettably the eight western return-stalls and base of the screen were cut off in 1976 and moved to the west end of the north nave aisle. In the centre of these stalls was built the intended tomb for Archbishop Courtenay. (He was, however, buried in Canterbury Cathedral on the King's orders.) This was lowered to floor level in the early 19th century, and the large brass indent is now flush with the floor.

The stalls have some fine carved misericordes, and it is clear from the arms of Archbishop Courtenay and others on them, that they were made at the time the church was being rebuilt. On the west side was a screen, but this was only for the stalls and not a Roof screen. A new `Rood' screen and loft was, however, erected on top of the earlier screen base in 1886 by J T Pearson.

On the north side of the sanctuary is another wooden screen with a coved out top, which is probably later medieval in date. It is still in situ with, in front of it, the modern bishop's throne.

The church had probably been rebuilt and finished by 1406 when Archbishop Arundel founded a chantry (with one chaplain) at the altar of St Thomas. (At the same time he founded another chantry in the nave of Canterbury Cathedral which was to hold the proposed site of Arundel's tomb.) This chantry, at the altar of St Thomas Becket in the south chancel aisle, then gave this area of the church a new name, the Arundel chapel. When the first chaplain was appointed in 1410, it was a man walled William Storton, and he was `to pray for the soul of William Courtenay, formerly archbishop, Thomas Chillinden the late Prior, William Topclyf, Elizabeth his wife, their son John, and all the faithful departed'. (See Kent Chantries (ed. A. Hussey, 1932)32-4). It is possible that it was Arundel who wanted the chapel to be vaulted, but that this was not completed after the archbishop's death in 1414. There was a third tomb in the north chapel but this has now been destroyed. It is recorded by Dering in his `Surrenden Notes' in c.1630, and was probably the tomb of Sir Richard Woodville (ob. c.1441) and his wife.

No other later medieval work is known, or visible, in the church, and in 1548, the chantries were suppressed. The font dates from the early 17th century, and by this time the church was being filled with family pews. From the late 17th century galleries were put into the aisles and the west end, and then a tall `triple-decker' pulpit and organ. (All of this is covered fully in Cave-Brown op.cit.inf.). Hasted tells us it was `newly and regularly pewed' in 1700.

All of this was swept away between 1844-9 when the architect, R C Carpenter, was brought in to completely repew the church, and put a new organ in the space above the vestry. All this cost about £2,500. In 1871 the great east window was heightened, and the following year was given expensive new stained glass.

In 1885-6 the architect, J L Pearson, was brought in to completely re-roof the whole church and restore its exterior (particularly the clerestory with its new crenellated parapets). He also built the new organ chamber between the vestry and south aisle, and did much refurnishing work. The huge reredos behind the high altar was not designed until 1896 (and installed in 1904), and this was followed in 1907 by the painting of the chancel walls (the north chapel was restored in 1897). The north porch was added in 1927, while much external masonry repair was carried out in 1972, and the organ was restored in 1980.

The mutilation of the medieval stalls was done in 1976 in a misguided attempt to open up the chancel to the nave. The front pews in the nave were removed at the same time, and the mayoral pews were moved back. Other of the 1849 pews have also gone. (19)


The following text is from the original listed building designation:

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment in 23/02/2017

883/6/70

MAIDSTONE MILL STREET (West side) Parish Church of All Saints

30.07.1951

GV I Begun in 1395 by Archbishop Courtenay as a Collegiate church and continued by Archbishop Arundel in 1396-1398, Perpendicular. Built of Kentish ragstone ashlar. Stone buttresses and crenellated parapet. South-west tower. The spire was struck by lightning in 1730 and never rebuilt. Six bay nave with clerestory and north and south aisles. Wooden roofs by Pearson 1886. The south chapel was originally the Chapel of the Fraternity of Corpus Christi. Credence and sedilia of four seats incorporating the monument of the First master of the college.

Stalls with medieval misericords. Early 17th century font. Monuments to Archbishop Courtenay d.1396, John Wotton d.1417 with a medieval wall painting at the back of the tower, Sir John Astley d.1639 and John Davy d.1631.

This is considered to be the grandest Perpendicular church in Kent.

Gateway and Wall to Palace Gardens, Wall to north-west of Archbishop's Palace, The Archbishop's Palace, Wall to east of Archbishop's Palace, The Dungeons at the Archbishop's Palace, The Gate House at the Archbishop's Palace, The Len Bridge, The Tithe Barn, Parish Church of All Saints, Wall to north and west of All Saints Church, The College Gateway, The College Tower, The Masters House, The Master's Tower, Cutbush Almshouses and the Ruined Gateway form a group



Listing NGR: TQ7599855415. (20)

HE Archive material (21)

<1> OS 1:1250 1958 (OS Card Reference). SKE48176.

<2> MHLG 1368/11/A Maidstone MB Nov 1949 30 (OS Card Reference). SKE47075.

<3> F1 ASP 25.02.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42271.

<4> DOE (HHR) Dist of Maidstone Area Kent 2.8.74 76 (OS Card Reference). SKE40286.

<5> Bldgs of Eng West Kent & the Weald 1980 396-99 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38034.

<6> History of All Saints Church Maidstone 1889 (J Cave-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE44088.

<7> Trans Lancs & Cheshire Antiq Soc 53 1938 184 (H Wardale) (OS Card Reference). SKE50654.

<8> Arch Cant 4 1861 xxxviii-xlv (OS Card Reference). SKE35083.

<9> Arch Cant 25 1902 xlii-xliv (OS Card Reference). SKE34896.

<10> Arch J 62 1905 18405 (OS Card Reference). SKE36663.

<11> Arch J 18 1924 377 (OS Card Reference). SKE36588.

<12> Arch Cant 24 1900 plan 91 (G M Livett) (OS Card Reference). SKE34875.

<13> Arch Cant 51 1939 213 (W Ruck) (OS Card Reference). SKE35268.

<14> Arch J 126 1969 253 (S E Rigold) (OS Card Reference). SKE36557.

<15> JBAA 3 1897 70 (OS Card Reference). SKE44933.

<16> JBAA 10 1855 34 (J Whichcord) (OS Card Reference). SKE44860.

<17> Field report for monument TQ 75 NE 39 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3810.

<18> Oxford Archaeological Unit, 1997, Maidstone: The Archiepiscopal Precinct (Heritage aspects of proposed works) (Unpublished document). SKE7372.

<19> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1994, Church Survey - All Saints Church, Maidstone. (Unpublished document). SKE7574.

<20> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

<21> Historic England, Archive material associated with tAll Saints' Church, Maidstone, Listed Building (Archive). SKE53957.

Sources and further reading