Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

13th century core (South aisle arcade and South side blocked lancet), much rebuilt in the 15th century and early 16th century. The tower was under construction in 1520-9; 1855 North aisle, organ chamber in eastward lengthening of aisle in 1879. Sandstone rubble masonry, the tower masonry galletted, tiled roofs. Nave, chancel, West tower, North and South aisles, North-East organ chamber, South-East chapel, the East wall flush with the chancel East wall, South-East vestry roofed at right angles to the chapel, South-West porch.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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[TQ 5504 5696] Ch. [NAT] (1) The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Seal, is Early English with a square Perpendicular tower. (2) In normal use. (3) 5280 SEAL SEAL Church Street (West Side) Church of St peter & St Paul TQ 5556 NW 28/993 10.9.54. 2. C13 with Perpendicular windows. Coursed grey sandstone with tiled roofs. Nave and chancel, aisle and south chapel; and further south-east chapel now as vestry. West tower of 1520-29, battlemented and with south-east staircase turret. North aisle of 1855 with east extension for organ chamber 1879. 3-bay nave with original arcade. Crown post nave roof. Remains of rood stair in south-west chancel pier. Interesting monuments from a large brass of 1395 to early C19 tablets to Pratt family by Chantrey. Jacobean pulpit; brass chandelier dated 1725. Screens by C R Ashbee, between 1895 and 1931. (4) St Peter and St Paul, Seal. Throughout, the material is of a pale greenish sandstone. Full architectural description. (5) A Norman Abacus has been found during reflooring operations in the church. It dates to c1180-90. It probably formed part of the chancel arch. The existance of this abacus established that the church was of stone at least as early as c1180-90. (6)

Description from record TQ 55 NE 118:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
SEAL
TQ5556NW CHURCH STREET
771/28/993 SEAL
10-SEP-54 (West side)
CHURCH OF ST PETER AND ST PAUL
I
Church. C13 core (S aisle arcade and S side blocked lancet), much rebuilt in the C15 and early C16. The tower was under construction in c.1520-9 (Pevsner); 1855 N aisle, organ chamber in eastward lengthening of aisle in 1879. Sandstone rubble masonry, the tower masonry galletted, tiled roofs. Nave, chancel, W tower, N and S aisles, NE organ chamber, SE chapel, the E wall flush with the chancel E wall, SE vestry roofed at right angles to the chapel, SW porch.
3-stage embattled Kentish tower with diagonal buttresses with set-offs and octagonal SE stair turret rising above the tower roof. W doorway and W window with renewed (C20) masonry. S aisle has renewed (C20) square-headed Perpendicular style windows with cusped heads and one blocked lancet. Perpendicular porch with stoup, diagonal buttresses and doorway in square-headed frame with carved spandrels. 3-light E window with shallow segmental arch and cusped lights; E window of SE chapel uncusped. 1855 Decorated style buttressed N aisle with 3-light windows.
Interior has 3-bay S aisle with round and octagonal piers with deep mouldings. Early Cl6 tower arch with engaged shafts, filled with glazed screen. Nave has medieval crown-post roof on moulded ties on arched braces with carved posts on moulded stone corbels. The crown-posts have moulded bases and capitals and 4-way bracing. Chancel arch marked by timber wall posts and pierced traceried spandrels to the tie beam braces and a carved boss on the soffit. Common rafter chancel roof with moulded wallplate is probably late Perpendicular. Medieval Perpendicular S aisle roof with moulded tie beams with arched braces and open spandrels. Medieval Perpendicular porch roof with curved braces and a brattished wallplate. 1855 3-bay N arcade. Remains of rood stair in SW chancel pier.
Plain octagonal late Perpendicular stone font with C17 ogival openwork font cover. C.1630 timber drum pulpit with upper panels with blind perspective arches, lower panels and cornice with strapwork decoration. Late Cl9/early C20 benches and choir-stalls with poppyheads. Timber traceried screens to organ chamber and SE chapel early C20 (SE chapel screen dated 1932)(The chancel screen of 1931 by C R Ashbee, noted in Pevsner, was removed in 1990). E windows of the chancel and chancel chapel signed F W Oliphant, 1856 and 1858. Chandelier dated 1725. Numerous monuments including c.late C14 brass (of very high quality) and late Cl6 brasses and many wall monuments, including a cartouche dated 1680 to John Chichester 'of the highest sculptural quality'(Pevsner) and five Grecian tablets to the Pratt family of 1832 by Chantrey. Unusual and original c.1908 bronze sleeping child on a pedestal to Elizabeth Mills. A church with a C13 core but extensive Perpendicular rebuilding including a good example of a Kent tower; medieval roofs to the nave, S aisle porch and probably chancel. Fittings include a Perpendicular font with Cl7 font cover, good Cl7 pulpit and numerous monuments, some of the best quality. Sources Pevsner, West Kent and the Weald, 1980 edn., 508-509 Information from the incumbent. Listing NGR: TQ5505956958 (8)

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

<2> MHLG (2360/11/A, April 1949) 94 (OS Card Reference). SKE47022.

<3> F1 FGA 27-JUN-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42993.

<4> DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks Kent RD of Sevenoaks 1975 258 (OS Card Reference). SKE41002.

<5> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 508-509 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37909.

<6> Arch Cant 85 1970 207-209 illus (A D Stoyel) (OS Card Reference). SKE35823.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 55 NE 13 - June, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2756.

<8> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading