Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

11thc Church with later Medieval additions. Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1100 to 1810

Monument Types

• ARCHITECTURAL FRAGMENT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 70295707] St. James's Church [TU] (1) The church of East Malling is dedicated to St. James. It is a handsome building with a west tower. [History of church from temp William II to date of writing given.] (2) There are traces of Roman building materials in the church at East Malling. [probably from Ro-villa site, TQ 75 NW 6 ? Saxon origin for church?] (3) The church, which is in use for ecclesiastical purposes, consists of chancel, nave with aisles, west tower, south porch and modern north vestry. There is much early fabric, that of the chancel containing quantitis of?Ro. tile, and many windows date from the 12c - 14c. Two narrow lancets blocked up in the chancel south wall are near to an early priest's door, also blocked up. Some late restoration work is evident within the church. The tower opening is probably of the 19c. (Dedication 'St. James' on notice-board) G.P.A9/59/19/5 from SE (4) In normal use. (5) 10A/1 B Church of Saint James Parish Church This large church is of the usual Kentish rag. The lower part of the tower is Norman, several of the windows are Decorated, but the chancel, nave and clerestory, and the upper parts of the tower are mainly Perpendicular. There is a brass to Thomas Selby and wife, 1489 and another to Richard Adam, Vicar 1522. (6) TQ 75 NW EAST MALLING & CHURCH WALK LARKFIELD (east side) 8/144 25.8.59 Church of St James GV I Church. C12, C14, rebuilt circa 1450-1500. Ragstone with some early materials, tiles and tufa, re-used in chancel. West tower, nave with aisles and chancel. Tower: 3 stages with angle buttresses, not original. Embattled with single pointed-arched belfrey openings and string below belfrey stage. Clock above tall west window. Norman windows to north and south (blocked). Clerestory nave and chancel. Transeptal chapels originally lengthened into aisles, early C14 windows to north, the original chancel windows. C19/C20 chancel east window. INTERIOR: 3 bay aisle arcades, showing lengthening of transeptal chapels to become aisles in rhythm of east arches then short piece of wall followed by pair of west arches. Octagonal piers, double-chamfered arches. Fittings: Sanctuary panelling, early C17. Font area: Early C16, with doors. Tall panelled base with tall conical cap of pierced tracery. Pierced cresting to base of birds attacking fruit. Octagonal stone font. Stained glass: same early C14 glass in north aisle. Monuments: Thomas Selby, d. 1479. Brass. Richard Adams, d. 1522. Brass. Richard Mannyng, d. 1611. Alabaster hanging monument, with figure with hand on skull. Thomas Twisden, d. 1683. Tablet. Jane Sympson, d. 1690. Baroque tablet with pediment and scrolls. Jane Twisden, d. 1779 (?). Tablet. Sir John Twisden, d. 1810. Monument with figure of woman leaning on urn by Thomas Assiter of Maidstone.

Description from record TQ 75 NW 289:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
EAST MALLING & LARKFIELD CHURCH WALK TQ 75 NW (east side) 8/144 25.8.59 Church of St James
GV I
Church. C12, C14, rebuilt circa 1450-1500. Ragstone with some early materials, tiles and tufa, re-used in chancel. West tower, nave with aisles and chancel. Tower: 3 stages with angle buttresses, not original. Embattled with single pointed-arched belfrey openings and string below belfrey stage. Clock above tall west window. Norman windows to north and south (blocked). Clerestory nave and chancel. Transeptal chapels originally lengthened into aisles, early C14 windows to north, the original chancel windows. C19/C20 chancel east window. INTERIOR: 3 bay aisle arcades, showing lengthening of transeptal chapels to become aisles in rhythm of east arches then short piece of wall followed by pair of west arches. Octagonal piers, double-chamfered arches. Fittings: Sanctuary panelling, early C17. Font area: Early C16, with doors. Tall panelled base with tall conical cap of pierced tracery. Pierced cresting to base of birds attacking fruit. Octagonal stone font. Stained glass: same early C14 glass in north aisle. Monuments: Thomas Selby, d. 1479. Brass. Richard Adams, do 1522. Brass. Richard Mannyng, d. 1611. Alabaster hanging monument, with figure with hand on skull. Thomas Twisden, d. 1683. Tablet. Jane Sympson, d. 1690. Baroque tablet with pediment and scrolls. Jane Twisden, d. 1779 (?). Tablet. Sir John Twisden, d. 1810. Monument with figure of woman leaning on urn by Thomas Assiter of Maidstone. Listing NGR: TQ7024357115 (11)

HE archive material: BF053023 St James' Church, East Malling and Larkfield File missing from the archive, 2004.

<1> OS 6" 1931-47 (OS Card Reference). SKE48329.

<2> History of Kent, Vol.2, (1782), pp 214ff (Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44147.

<3> VCH Kent. Vol 3 (1932) p.160 (OS Card Reference). SKE51237.

<4> F1 ASP 28-MAY-59 (OS Card Reference). SKE42334.

<5> F2 ASP 19-FEB-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43136.

<6> DOE (HHR) Malling R D Kent May 1950 25 (OS Card Reference). SKE40599.

<7> DOE(HHR)Dist of Tonbridge & Malling Kent 1987 52-53 (OS Card Reference). SKE41361.

<8> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 265-6 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37861.

<9> Field report for monument TQ 75 NW 5 - May, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3849.

<10> Field report for monument TQ 75 NW 5 - February, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3850.

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

Sources and further reading