Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1000 to 1928.Church comprising a 11th century north tower and a 12th century nave and chancel. The chancel was extended during the 13th century. Further additions took place during the 14th and 15th century. A general restoration by William Butterfield took place in 1864-66. The church is constructed of flint, rubble and ashlar with a plain tile roof. Godmersham was one of the early minsters founded in Kent before 700.

Monument Types

• MINSTER (CHURCH, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 600 AD to 700 AD)
• CHURCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Modern - 1000 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 05 SE 9 :
[TTR 0619 5044] St. Lawrence's Church [NAT] (1) The Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr, Godmersham, contains Norman and 13th C. work. (2) In normal use. (3) TR 05 SE Godmersham Canterbury Road (east side) 4/40 Church of St. Lawrence 27.11.57. GV I Parish church. C11 tower, C12 nave and chancel, chancel extended C13. Some C14 and C15 windows and fittings, south transept, south aisle, south porch and general restoration by William Butterfield, 1864-6. Flint and rubble, part plastered, with ashlar and rough dressed quoins and dressings, and plain tile roofs. Nave, south aisle and transept, chancel, north tower and south porch. West front: nave and south aisle, south aisle with coursed flint and ashlar quoins and bands. Gabled roof with C19 wrought iron gable cross. West door blocked, arch of single order with dogtooth ornament, tympanum of (re-used?) diapered and dog-toothed blocks. West window C19 curvilinear style with drip mould, south west window C19paired lancets. South porch: 1 storey, timber framed on flint plinth.The gable end is open to expose the framing, with wrought iron gablecross. Inside a C19 double plank door with large iron hinges. South aisle with 2 ashlar bands and 3 lancet windows. South transept:single ashlar band, ashlar quoins, 2 offset buttresses, with triple lancet wouth window, and single lancet on east wall. South east chapel (the organ chamber): ashlared quoins, and covered by catslide extension from chancel roof, with paired lancet window, and trefoiled wall niche, to Mary Agnes Bolton, d . 1928. Chancel: south wall with exposed quoins of Normal chancel half way along its length, 2 C19 lancet windows, and 2 trefoiled wall niches, to children of Alfred and Mary Lyall, d. 1844, and Lucy Verena Holland, d. 1866. East wall part rendered in plaster painted as flint, with 2 dragonal offset buttresses in brick and flint, and C13 triple lancet east window. Between and forward of the 2 buttresses is a mid C19 cast iron railing on stone plinth, encircling an unmarked horizontal grave slab. North wall, with exposed quoins of Normal nave, single lancet to east. C14. Decorated window of 2 lights with sexfoil in head to west, and central blocked C15 doorway, 4 centred arch, double hollow chamfer and drip mould. Trefoiled niche on north-east buttress to Sackree. Tower: 3 stage tower of flint with rough-dressed quoins and eastern semi-circular apse with tiled roof and 2 C19 windows to east, with single light in tower second stage, and large belfry opening over. North wall with single lights to first and second stages and large belfry opening, and C19 board door in original semi-circular arched opening. West wall with single light to each stage and projecting chimeny/garderobe corbelled out to right. Nave north wall: to east. C15. 3 light window hollow chamfered surround and 4 centred drip mould. West, a single round-headed window, C19. Interior; 4 bay nave with C19 arcade to south aisle and south tansept, 3 square-section piers and one round pier with plain chamfered arches. Roof of plastered barrel-trusses and 3 crown posts, the trusses higher and exposed to the east, to accentuate transept/crossing. The tower intrudes in the east end of the nave with a hollow chamfered doorway and plank door to the tower, and blocked doorway to rood loft. South aisle has masonry screen to transepts with 2 lancets and trefoil over, and square-headed and shouldered arch to nave pier. South transept with barrel, truss roof, and chamfered arch through to south east chapel (nor organ room). Chancel, with hollow chamfered reveal to mullion and transomed 4 light and traceried C15 Perpendicular opening to south-east organ room. Attached shafts in chamfered surround of easter triple lancet window. Barrel-truss roof, plastered, with exposed lattice-framing at east end. Fittings: in chancel, cusped piscina and trefoiled sedile. Vestigial remains of C19 reredos on chancel east wall. Full height wood chancel screen, by Butterfield, 3 open bays. Solid, spandrel painted with crucifixion, with 2 central gates with open wrought iron tracery. Octagonal font also by Butterfield date. C12 stone relief of Archbishop Becket on chancel south wall, under canopy with colonettes. Monuments: south aisle. Thomas Knight, d. 1794 signed Shout, Holborn, London, wall plaque. A broken Ionic pillar on plinth over sarcophagus with claw feet, and west of this another by Shout to Harriet Knatchbull d. 1791, a white tablet wall plaque with pillars. Over this a foliated and scrolled cartouche wall plaque to Thomas Carter d. 1707, with cherubs either side and blowing trumpets over. On the north wall a similar draped cartouche with garlands of fruit and flowers and cherubs supporting a shield, to John Christmas, d. 1712. West of it a wall plaque to Edward Knight d. 1852. Jane Austen’s brother, by S. Manning. Angled sarcophagus, draped, witsurround, chamfered and lugged, with scrolled pediment and achievement over, to Richard Munn, M.A. Vicar of Godmersha, d. 1682. Glass in south west and east window, by Gibbs, 1866-7, those to west in memory of Edward Knight and wife Elizabeth. (4)
St. Lawrence. A flint church with a Norman chancel lengthened in the 13th century. South transept and aisle of 1864-6 when Butterfield enlarged the church. A Norman tower with an east apse, which means it was used as a chapel, and a vaulted apse. (5)
Additional bibliography - not consulted. (6)(7)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 05 SE GODMERSHAM CANTERBURY ROAD (east side)
4/40 Church of St. Lawrence 27.ll.57 GV I
Parish church. C11 tower, C12 nave and chancel, chancel extended C13. Some C14 and C15 windows and fittings, south transept, south aisle, south porch and general restoration by William Butterfield, 1864-6. Flint and rubble, part plastered, with ashlar and rough dressed quoins and dressings, and plain tile roofs. Nave, south aisle and transept, chancel, north tower and south porch. West front: nave and south aisle, south aisle with coursed flint and ashlar quoins and bands. Gabled roof with C19 wrought iron gable cross. West door blocked, arch of single order with dogtooth ornament, tympanum of (re-used?) diapered and dog-toothed blocks. West window C19 curvilinear style with drip mould, south west window C19 paired lancets. South porch: 1 storey, timber framed on flint plinth. The gable end is open to expose the framing, with wrought iron gable cross. Inside a C19 doubel plank door with large iron hinges. South aisle: with 2 ashlar bands and 3 lancet windows. South transept: single ashlar band, ashlar quoins, 2 offset buttresses, with triple lancet south window, and single lancet on east wall. South east chapel (the organ chamber): ashlared quoins, and covered by catslide extension from chancel roof, with paired lancet window, and trefoiled wall niche, to Mary Agues Bolton, d. 1928. Chancel: south wall with exposed quoins of Normal chancel half way along its length, 2 C19 lancet windows, and 2 trefoiled wall niches, to children of Alfred and Mary Lyall, d. 1844, and Lucy Verena Holland, d. 1866. East wall part rendered in plaster painted as flint, with 2 dragonal offset buttresses in brick and flint, and C13 triple lancet east window. Between and forward of the 2 buttresses is a mid C19 cast iron railing on stone plinth, encircling an unmarked horizontal grave slab. North wall, with exposed quoins of Normal nave, single lancet to east. C14. Decorated window of 2 lights with sexfoil in head to west, and central blocked C15 doorway, 4 centred arch, double hollow chamfer and drip mould. Trefoiled niche on north-east buttress to Sackree. Tower: 3 stage tower of flint with rough-dressed quoins and eastern semi-circular apse with tiled roof and 2 C19 windows to east, with single light in tower second stage, and large belfry opening over. North wall with single lights to first and second stages and large belfry opening, and C19 board door in original semi-circular arched opening. West wall with single light to each stage, and projecting chimney/garderobe corbelled out to right. Nave north wall: to east. C15. 3 light window hollow chamfered surround and 4 centred drip mould. West, a single round-headed window, C19. Interior: 4 bay nave with C19 arcade to south aisle and south transept, 3 square-section piers and one round pier with plain chamfered arches. Roof of plastered barrel-trusses and 3 crown posts, the trusses higher and exposed to the east, to accentuate transept/crossing. The tower intrudes in the east end of the nave with a hollow chamfered doorway and plank door to the tower, and blocked doorway to rood loft. South aisle has masonry screen to transepts with 2 lancets and trefoil over, and square-headed and shouldered arch to nave pier. South transept with barrel truss roof, and chamfered arch through to south east chapel (nor organ room). Chancel,with hollow chamfered reveal to mullion and transomed 4 light and traceried C15 Perpendicular opening to south-east organ room. Attached shafts in chamfered surround of easter triple lancet window. Barrel-truss roof, plastered, with exposed lattice-framing at east end. Fittings: in chancel, cusped piscina and trefoiled sedile. Vestigial remains of C19 reredos on chancel east wall. Full height wood chancel screen, by Butterfield, 3 open bays. Solid, spandrel painted with crucifixion, with 2 central gates with open wrought iron tracery. Octagonal font also by Butterfield date.C12 stone relief of Archbishop Becket on chancel south wall, under canopy with colonettes. Monuments: south aisle. Thomas Knight, d. 1794 signed Shout, Holborn, London,wall plaque. A broken Ionic pillar on plinth over sarcophagus with claw feet, and west of this another by Shout to Harriet Knatchbull d. 1791, a white tablet wall plaque with pillars. Over this a foliated and scrolled cartouche wall plaque to Thomas Carter d. 1707, with cherubs either side and blowing trumpets over. On the north wall a similar draped cartouche with garlands of fruit and flowers and cherubs supporting a shield, to John Christmas, d. 1712. West of it a wall plaque to Edward Knight d. 1852. Jane Austen's brother, by S. Manning. Angled sarcophagus, draped, with obelisk over. To east, a black plaque in white marble surround, chamfered and lugged, with scrolled pediment and achievement over, to Richard Munn, M.A. Vicar of Godmersham, d. 1682. Glass in south west and east window, by Gibbs, 1866-7, those to west in memory of Edward Knight and wife Elizabeth. Listing NGR: TR0665250705 (10)

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

<2> MHLG 1886/11/A July 1955 34 (OS Card Reference). SKE47077.

<3> F1 ASP 17.05.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42143.

<4> DOE (HHR) Boro of Ashford Kent Aug 1984 69 70 (OS Card Reference). SKE39817.

<5> Bldgs of Eng 1983 NE and E Kent 332 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37729.

<6> Godmersham - Church of St Mary and St Lawrence (OS Card Reference). SKE43621.

<7> Hist and description of St Lawrence's Ch Gentleman's Mag 1810 (OS Card Reference). SKE43775.

<8> Field report for monument TR 05 SE 9 - May, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5215.

<9> Irene Pellett, 2018, The medieval floor tile panel at St Lawrence Church, Godmersham (Article in serial). SKE51648.

<10> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading