Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1096 to 1899. 1096-1107 with C15th additions

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1096 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 04 SE 3 :
(TR 06634428) St Mary's Church (NAT) (1) The church of St Mary, Brook, is wholly late C11th, except for the late Medieval north porch. (2) In normal use. (3) 14/1 Church of St Mary, Brook. Parish Church. Chancel, nave and large west tower in 3 stages. C11 with C13 ws. in the Chancel and one C14 w. in the nave. Remains of C11 wall paintings in the chancel and nave. (4) St Mary's Church, Brook is a primary romanesque building, astonishingly unaltered more massive and better finshed than a normal two-celled parish church (see plan). (5) St Mary's, upgraded to grade A. (6) St Mary: A complete early Norman church of considerable dimensions and with a very remarkable west tower - it is as wide as the nave and nearly as long. Walls of unknappped flints and dressing of Quarr stone and Caen stone. (7)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 04 SE BROOK THE STREET (East side)
4/58 Church of St. Mary 27.11.57
GV I
Parish church. 1096-1107, for Prior Ernulf of Christ Church, Canterbury. Flint, in parts laid herringbone pattern, with Quarr and Caen stone dressings. Plain tiled roof. Chancel, nave with north porch, and Westwerk tower. Three stage tower, the ground area virtually as great as the (by no means small) nave. South-eastern angle stair turret, rising in several uneven stages. String courses and parapet with small lancets throughout. C15 2 light west window with C15 moulded arched doorway below in C11 outer arch, with same re-used tooled C11 blocks in spandrel. Blocked simple chamfered C11 south doorway. C19 north porch with simple chamfered pointed arched doorway. Decorated style 3 light window in north nave wall, and inserted lancets to Chancel. Deep recess to low opening in chancel north wall. Interior: tall and massive tower arch, rebated and with rope moulded abaci carried across west wall of nave. Complete and wide spiral staircase with tower, with chapel on first floor, with 3 finely moulded arches on east wall, the centre with a pile of rubble attached - all that remains of an altar. C12 wall painting of Christ blessing over the arches. The presence of this chapel makes of the tower a Continental style Westwerk - simple rafter roof to nave. Simple low chancel arch on imposts, with round headed recess to north and evidence of rood door over. Chancel with beam ends in north and south walls. Boarded and ribbed chancel roof. Fittings: re-set stone altar slab. Roll moulded almond shaped opening in north wall corresponding to exterior niche (possibly for ringing the sanctus bell, locally attributed to use by an anchorite). Wood lined aumbrey in north wall; and sedile with moulded hood. Medieval encaustic tiles in sanctuary. Wall paintings; chancel, trecusped piscina; a scheme of roundels with scenes of Christ's Nativity, on all three walls, those on east wall interrupted by new East window c.1280, and overpainted with masonry and cross-pattern with painted cusped arches over. Nave painting also from c1280, larger roundels with scenes of a saint's life. North wall with some C14 figures, large St. Christopher over north door, and 2 C17 texts in flamboyant cartouches. Royal Coat of Arms in tower. (See B.O.E. Kent II 1983, 164-5; church guide). Listing NGR: TR0677144589(9)

Historic England archive material: BB51/01679 Exterior view of the north face from Brook Street showing the squat tower, rebuilt in 1890.

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

<2> Arch Cant 42 1930 271 (V J Tarr) (OS Card Reference). SKE35117.

<3> F1 CFW 06-MAY-1963 (OS Card Reference). SKE42452.

<4> MHLG Prov list East Ashford RD Kent July 1955 16 (OS Card Reference). SKE47152.

<5> Arch J 126 1969 270-2 Illust (S E Rigold) (OS Card Reference). SKE36569.

<6> MHLG Amend to Prov list 1 12 76 (OS Card Reference). SKE47104.

<7> Bldgs of Eng NE & E Kent 1983 164-5 photo (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37752.

<8> Field report for monument TR 04 SE 3 - May, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5168.

<9> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading