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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 84 NW 5
Type of record:Listed Building
Name:Church of St Mary, Sutton Valence

Summary

Church on site of C14th church Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1066 to 1874


Grid Reference:TQ 8096 4918
Map Sheet:TQ84NW
Parish:SUTTON VALENCE, MAIDSTONE, KENT

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1300 AD to 2050 AD)
Protected Status:Listed Building (II) 1060905: CHURCH OF ST MARY

Full description

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[TQ 80984919] St. Mary's Church [NAT] (1) Sutton Valence Church was rebuilt in 1828 on the site of the original 14th century edifice, only the lower part of the tower surviving from the original building. (2) St. Mary's Church, is at present in use for ecclesiastical purposes. (3) Checked and correct. (4) Church of St. Mary, Grade II. (5)(6)

Description from record TQ 84 NW 150:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
SUTTON VALENCE CHART ROAD TQ 8044-8149 (north side) 7/123 Church of St Mary 26.4.68 GV II
Parish church. 1823-8 by W. Ashenden, incorporating medieval work. Alterations of 1866, and of 1874 by G.M. Hills. Small blocks of coursed stone. Slate roof. West tower, nave, south aisle, south porch, chancel with north and south chapels, north aisle. West tower: 3 stages on moulded plinth with battlements. Semi-octagonal clasping buttresses to 2 lower stages. Pointed arched louvred opening to each face of belfry. 3-light west window. Tall narrow 2-centred arched west doorway with worn moulded jambs and hoodmould. South aisle: stops short of west end of tower. Diagonal south-west buttress. Pointed arched west window. Four 3-light south windows alternating with buttresses; 2 each side of porch. South porch: closely flanked by 2 buttresses with aisle window-head over. Battlemented. Pointed arched doorway with squared hoodmould, incorporating quatrefoiled medieval spandrels. 4-centred arched inner doorway. South chapel: virtually continuous with south aisle but with slightly lower eaves. Diagonal south-east buttress. Pointed arched south doorway with hoodmould, and blind quatrefoil set above it. 2-light east window. Chancel: with chamfered corners and diagonal buttresses. Hipped roof. Broad 3-light east window of 1866 by Habershon. North chapel: as south, but without quatrefoil. North aisle: stops short of west end of tower. Four 3-light windows flanked by buttresses. Blind bay to west end. Pointed arched west window. Interior: Structure: 4-bay north and south arcades inserted 1874 by G.M. Hills, with octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases in a medieval style. Similar C19 pointed, double-chamfered arches to chancel arch and between aisles and chapels. Attached columns of chancel arch, inner columns and outer corbels of aisle/chapel arches medieval; corbels with grotesque faces and gadrooned sides, columns octagonal with moulded capitals and bases. Complete medieval double-chamfered pointed arch with attached columns between chancel and each chapel. No tower arch, but 3-bay arcade of pointed arches opening on to corbelled and quatrefoiled stone balcony with iron railings half way up tower. Panelled 4-centred arched door within wall partitioning west bay of north and south aisles from rest of aisle. Scientific raked queen-strut roof to nave. Fittings: C15 octagonal concave-sided font with petalled flowers, on shafted octagonal stem with moulded base. Early C20 square wooden pulpit with canted corners, fielded panels to sides, and fluting to corner panels, on fluted stem. 1844 Benefactors' board at west end of south aisle. Monuments: tapering stone tomb slab with raised cross at west end of south aisle. (J Newman, West Kent and The Weald, 1980). Listing NGR: TQ8096949189 (9)


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

<2> Sutton Valence & East Sutton 1898 27-32 (J Cave Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE49781.

<3> F1 ASP 24.11.61 (OS Card Reference). SKE42254.

<4> F2 CFW 16.01.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43244.

<5> DOE(HHR) Borough of Maidstone Kent 18 December 1985 78 (OS Card Reference). SKE40860.

<6> Bldgs of Eng-West Kent & the Weald 1980 558 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38160.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 84 NW 5 - November, 1961 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4358.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 84 NW 5 - January, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4359.

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

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: OS 6" 1961.
<2>OS Card Reference: Sutton Valence & East Sutton 1898 27-32 (J Cave Brown).
<3>OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 24.11.61.
<4>OS Card Reference: F2 CFW 16.01.64.
<5>OS Card Reference: DOE(HHR) Borough of Maidstone Kent 18 December 1985 78.
<6>OS Card Reference: Bldgs of Eng-West Kent & the Weald 1980 558 (J Newman).
<7>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 84 NW 5 - November, 1961.
<8>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 84 NW 5 - January, 1964.
<9>XYMap: English Heritage. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. [Mapped feature: #27425 Church, ]