Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1100 to 1499. C12th origin; C13th-C15th alterations

Monument Types

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

Full description

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Description from record TR 03 SW 4 :
(TR 02463354) St Mary Magdalen's Church (NAT) (1) In normal use. (2) 23/1B Church of St Mary Magdalene, Ruckinge. Grade B Parish Church. Chancel with South Chapel, Nave with Aisles, North Porch and West Tower with tiled roof and thin lead spire at its apex. The base of the Tower and the south doorway of the Nave are Norman. But otherwise the whole building is C14, except the topmost stage of the Tower which is C15. King-post roof. (3,4) St Mary the Virgin; Norman west tower, massive with a 13th century topstage and an egregious steeple consisting of a lead-covered spike on a squat pyramid. All stonework inside dismally scaled after a fire long ago. (5)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 03 SW RUCKINGE THE CORNER (south side) 6/101 Church of St. Mary Magdalene 27.11.57 GV I Parish church. C12 origin, tower rebuilt C13, arcade and fenestration mainly C14, C15 alterations. Ragstone with plain tiled roof, with timber north porch and leaded spire. Chancel, north chapel, nave with aisles, western tower and north porch. Two stage western tower, the upper section Cl3 with spire on C12 lower stage, with offset corner buttresses and south-western angle vice. Ogee headed and cusped single and doubled lights. Perpendicular double wave moulded western doorway set within C12 doorway with billet, keel, chevron and roll and fillet moulded orders on double attached columns with scalloped capitals. Paired trecusped lights to south aisle with 1 leaded wooden casement. C12 south doorway with chevron and roll moulded outer orders on attached columns, the abaci enriched with zig-zag and billet mouldings. Boldly projecting south chapel with offset corner buttresses and corbelled western chimney, with blocked C18 brick west doorway and cusped Y- tracery fenestration. East end with 2 three light cusped Y-tracery windows with mouchettes, that to chancel with larger, less cusped tracery pattern. Cusped lancets to chancel and Y-tracery fenestration to north aisle, with corner buttresses (repaired with brick). North porch on flint base, with rendered and applied timber upper walls, and damaged cusped and moulded bargeboard with pendant. The porch within is unrestored, with small crown-post roof on cambered and moulded tie beam with moulded wall plate. Fine C14(?) door, with moulded and lapped timbers in hollow-and ovolo-moulded doorway with hoodmould. Interior: wide nave, with mutilated tower arch on octagonal responds, with double chamfered and roll moulded arch. Nearly all the stonework of the arcades badly scaled by fire and some with iron straps; C14 3 bay arcades with octagonal piers and moulded capitals to double chamfered arches. South pier to C14 damaged chancel arch in C15 replacement. Roof of 4 crown posts with lean-to aisles, and simple arch from south aisle to south chapel. Chancel with Cl9 tie beam, and rafter roof, and double chamfered arch to south chapel, the latter with trussed rafter roof on moulded tie beams. Fittings: cusped ogee headed piscina in east wall of chancel; C17 altar table with fluted frieze and gadrooned cup and cover legs and square floor-level stretchers and mid C18 turned baluster altar rail. Medieval choir stalls to south of chancel with frame of screen to south chapel with simple poppy head bench ends, returned across chancel arch and mirrored on north side, largely by Cl9 copies, but incorporating 4 C15 or C16 panels with tracery and shields. Cusped and roll moulded shelved piscina in south chapel. Simple octagonal font and base. Heavy Cl9 wooden Gothic style pulpit. Early C18 screen to tower with raised and fielded panelled base, turned balusters over to cornice with iron spiked top rail. Central door on H hinges. On the south wall of the tower, a reredos, with 4 fluted Doric pilasters, painted to look like marble, with entablature blocks supporting a modillion cornice, the centre raised to pediment, with central segmentally headed commandments board with cloud burst over and Hebrew lettering, flanked by Lord's Prayer and the Creed. Early Cl9 painted Royal Arms on tower north wall. (See B.O.E. Kent I, 499-500). Listing NGR: TR0260733627 (7)

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

<2> F1 CFW 27-NOV-1962 (OS Card Reference). SKE42783.

<3> MGHG Prov List No 23/1B E. Ashford RD July 1955 49 (OS Card Reference). SKE46894.

<4> Arch Cant 8 1880 227-30 (Rev E M Muriel) (OS Card Reference). SKE35682.

<5> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 499-500 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37907.

<6> Field report for monument TR 03 SW 4 - November, 1962 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5116.

<7> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading