Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 900 to 1499. Church built of flint with stone dressings. The nave and chancel are possibly Saxon and the east bay is of 12th century date. The south west tower is of 13th century date and there are also 14th and 15th century additions.There is strong evidence to suggest that Darenth was a minster in a secondary wave of minster creation in the 8th to mid 10th centuries.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (CHURCH, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 410 AD to 1065 AD)
• SITE (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Medieval - 900 AD to 1499 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 5274 DARENTH DARENTH HILL (south side)
Church of St Margaret TQ 57 SE 4/1 1.6.67
I
2. C10, C12, C13 and C14. Built of flint with stone dressings. Tiled roof. South-west flint tower with stone dressings. Pyramidal spire. This Church is reckoned to be the third oldest in Kent, and the sixth oldest in the United Kingdom. Chancel, Nave with south aisle, tower at the west end of the aisle, vestry at the west end of the nave and north porch. The nave is late C10 or early C11 and has a double splayed window over the north doorway with an outer splay of Roman tiles. The east bay of the chancel or sanctuary is early C12, is 2 storeys and between its stone vault and the roof is a priest's chamber which is now inaccessible. The chancel is also Norman and retains the arcade of a south chapel with square many-scalloped capitals and pointed arches. The south-west tower is C13 the aisle is C15 and the vestry and porch modern. Norman font of circa 1140. C18 square pulpit with a bowed front and early C18 altar rails of twisted balusters. Listing NGR: TQ5584471471 (1)

Description from record TQ 57 SE 42:
[TQ 56077126] St. Margaret's Church [T.U.] (2) The Church of St. Margaret, Darenth, preserves the remains of a 10th c. Saxon nave and possibly a Saxon chancel with 12th c. and later additions. Roman material in the west and north walls is doubtless from the nearby villa. [See TQ 57 SE 30] (3-6) In normal use. (7) Church of St Margaret, Darenth Hill. Grade I. C10,C12,C13 and C14. The nave is late C10 or early C11 and has a double splayed window over the north doorway with an outer splay of Roman tiles. (8) Additional bibliography. (9-12)

Archive material (15)

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> OS 6" 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE48369.

<3> Woolwich Dist A.S.Ann Rep. 17 1911 83 94 plans Illus (F C Elliston-Erwood) (OS Card Reference). SKE51397.

<4> Arch J 79 1922 394 (F C Eales) (OS Card Reference). SKE36685.

<5> Arch J 20 1863 398 (F C Eeles) (OS Card Reference). SKE36595.

<6> MHLG (2033/11/A Nov 1960) 5 (OS Card Reference). SKE46898.

<7> F1 FGA 26.08.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42981.

<8> DOE(HHR) Dist of Dartford 1982 1 (OS Card Reference). SKE40923.

<9> Dart and Dist Antiq Soc 2 1932 12-13 photo (A Cumberland) (OS Card Reference). SKE39602.

<10> Anglo-Saxon Arch 1 1965 190-92 (H M Taylor & J Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE33082.

<11> Anglo-Saxon Arch 3 1978 1006-7 (H M Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE33083.

<12> Bldgs of Eng W Kent and the Weald 1980 254 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37979.

<13> Diocese of Rochester (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1992, Darenth, St Margaret: Diocesan church survey (Unpublished document). SKE29612.

<14> Field report for monument TQ 57 SE 42 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3081.

<15> Historic England archive material for St Margarets Church, Darenth (Archive). SKE53775.

Sources and further reading