Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 43 to 1923. Parish church of St. Pancras, Church Road. Grade I. Saxon? or early Norman, with some C14th and C15th fenestration. South porch of 1890. Restored 1866, 1890 and 1923. Coldred Church stands within an earthwork of inderterminate date, originally considered Roman in date, but now thought more likely to be the remains of a Motte and Bailey castle. A Silver halfpenny of Edward I was found in the church yard in 1996.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1066 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

Formerly TR 24 NE 3

Description from record TR 24 NE 3:
[TR 27434759] St Pancras' Church [NAT] (1)

The Church of St Pancras, Coldred, has a Saxon chancel and nave. (2)

In normal use. St. Pancras' Church consists of a simple nave and chancel of early Norman date with a late 19th c. south porch and vestry. There is no evidence of Saxon work. (3)

Parish church of St. Pancras, Church Road. Grade I. Saxon, altered C11th, with some C14th and C15th fenestration. South porch of 1890. Restored 1866, 1890 and 1923. Coldred Church stands within an earthwork of inderterminate, but possibly Roman date. (See TR 24 NE 4). (5,6)

Silver halfpenny of Edward I fd in church yard 1996 (TR 24 NE 89).(10)

Despite earlier suggestions that this is an Anglo Saxon church, it seems very likely that this is a late 11th century church built soon after the Motte and Bailey castle, that surrounds it, was erected. The church consists of only a simple rectangular nave and chancel with a small 1890 vestry to the north and an 1890 replacement porch to the south.(9)

The nave (and probably the chancel) originally had only whole large flints for quoins at the corners, as well as around a high up (in the gable) circular window in the west wall. Much of this quoining was later (late 12th or 13th century) replaced with Caen and Hythe stone quoins with rough diagonal tooling. These quoins are often side-alternate (eg. NE quoin of chancel, NE and NW quoins of nave).

In the north and west walls of the nave are the remains of three original single splay windows. Internally these are all covered in plaster, but externally they have stone surrounds. That in the middle of the west wall has been entirely replaced in Bath stone (? 1890). The north window of the nave has small Caenstone jambs with some Bath replacement in the upper part. It is perhaps c. late 11th/early 12th century date - the surrounding wall might also suggest this. The original windows on the east and south as well as the original doorways have all been replaced in the later Middle Ages, but the doorways on the north and south probably mark the original doorways. In the 13th century another doorway was apparently cut through the middle of the west wall (below the earlier window). This is now blocked with knapped flintwork, but above it is smaller stonework with one block of Reigate stone, suggesting the 13th century date.

In the 13th century also new simple 2-centred doorways were inserted on either side of the nave (with plain chamfered surrounds to the outer doorway). The doorway on the north is smaller than the southern one, and the latter still has four voussoirs (decorated with chevron) above it. This must have come from the earlier 12th century doorway. The rere-arches of both doorways seem to re-use some earlier Caenstone jambs.

The two-light windows in the east wall and south wall of the nave must both be early 14th century insertions. Externally the east window is entirely restored in Bath stone, while the south nave window is mostly original (only the central mullion and sill are in Bath stone). Internally both these windows have fine Hythe stone jambs with carefully drafted edges to the blocks. The internal sill to the east window has been cut down in the 19th century so the altar could be inserted there. The nave south window only has timber lintels over it internally. There is a ?medieval aumbry on the NE side of the nave (no original surround visible).

The south window of the chancel is a two-light perpendicular window (15th century) with a square top. It has rougher internal Hythe stone jambs. There is no chancel arch, but a small rood screen was perhaps added at the end of the 15th century, as well as perhaps the original south porch.

Over the west gable of the nave is a stone bell-cote for 2 bells. This was restored and rebuilt in c. 1890, but probably dates originally from the 13th century. The Bell now displayed in the south chancel (which broke in half in 1939, and was stuck together and displayed) may well be an original 13th century bell made for the church. There is today a single (replacement) bell in the south bell-cote (the bell cote is shown in a ruined state in Petrie's early 19th century watercolour).

There were major restorations in 1866 (date on rain-water hopper on SE corner of nave) and 1890. Smaller restorations were carried out in 1911 and 1923. In 1890, the north vestry (with fireplace) was added and a new porch. All the fittings in the nave and chancel including the font (with 1929 lid) must date from the 19th century restorations. The chancel roof is 19th century, but the nave has remains of a substantially rebuilt later medieval crown-post roof. Externally there is cement render on the south and east chancel walls, and (redone recently) the nave north wall. (11)

Additional Info (4, 7, 8).

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 24 NE SHEPERDSWELL & COLDRED CHURCH ROAD (west side) 2/94 Church of St. Pancras 22.8.62 GV I Parish Church. Saxon, altered C11, with some C14 and C15 fenestration. South porch of 1890. Restored 1866, 1890 and 1923. Chancel south and east walls and nave north wall rendered, elsewhere built of coursed flint, sometimes laid herring-bone fashion. Banded tiled roof. Chancel and nave with north vestry, south porch and western bellcote. Saxon evidence includes single splayed windows with heads moulded from single stone in west wall, with small roundel over, and nave and chancel north walls, and flint quoins, in part replaced by ashlar blocks. Two C14 window nave and C15 2 light chancel south wall. C19 decorated style east window. South porch dated 1890, arcaded wooden structure on flint base, with simple chamfered C14 doorway, (with original door?) with fragment of earlier zig-zag moulding over. North vestry of 1890, with double lancet, chimney and reset medieval dedication cross. West bell turret originally C14, rebuilt early C20. Interior: nave with roof of 3 simple crown posts; chancel with C19 trussed rafter roof. Curious rectangular opening above north door into vestry. Chancel stepped in, no arch. East window reveal with chamfered elliptical head and brought all way down to floor, with inserted C19 window. Fittings: aumbrey in nave north wall, otherwise all C19, with simple twisted baluster altar rail with fleur-de-lys brackets, 2 cast iron lamp brackets and 2 wrought iron candle brackets in chancel, bench piers, pulpit and octagonal font, all C19. C14 bell in chancel removed 1939 from bellcote. Brass inscription on chancel south wall to William Fyntch, Gent. d.1615. Monument to Edward Pettit, Vicar of Sheperdswell and Coldred (a combined living from 1584 to 1910). Oval wall plaque within bolection moulded panel with broken pediment and cartouche over, and winged death's head and cartouches on apron. The only other dedication to St. Pancras in Kent of 6 in the whole country) is in the very early Saxon Church of St. Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury. Coldred Church stands within an earthwork of indeterminate, but possibly Roman date. (See B.O.E. Kent II 1983, 277-8).
Listing NGR: TR2736947546 (12)

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

<2> MHLG (2045/11/A, Sep 1962) 4 (OS Card Reference). SKE46984.

<3> F1 ASP 24.04.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42252.

<4> Unknown, 1884, Unknown, JBAA vol 40 1884 245 (Article in serial). SKE7885.

<5> DOE (MMR) Dist of Dover 1987 43 (OS Card Reference). SKE40781.

<6> John Newman, 1969, The Buildings of England: North East and East Kent, The Buildings of England North East and East Kent 1983 277-278 (J Newman) (Monograph). SKE7874.

<7> Morgan, T., 1883, Unknown, JBAA vol 39 1883 425 (T Morgan) (Article in serial). SKE7884.

<8> Phillips, Alan, 1964, Field report for monument TR 24 NE 3 - April, 1964 St. Pancras Chruch, Coldred (Bibliographic reference). SKE5645.

<9> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1992, Church Report - St Pancras's Church., Tatton-Brown Report to Canterbury Diocese 1992 (Unpublished MS) (Unpublished document). SKE7556.

<10> Hoskins, R., 1996, St. Pancras Church, Coldred, KAR 126 (1996) R Hoskins p. 127 - 129 (Article in serial). SKE7883.

<11> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1992, Church Report - St Pancras's Church. (Unpublished document). SKE7556.

<12> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading

Related records