Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 600 to 1399 Saxon, Norman and 14th century. Chancel and nave without chancel arch between them, tower at the south-west corner of the chancel, south porch and vestry at the north-west corner of the nave. Built of flint in fairly regular courses with tiled roof. The nave and square tower are Saxo-Norman and the chancel may be also although the windows are decorated.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Modern - 600 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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The following text is from the original listed building designation:
WEST KINGSDOWN FAWKHAM ROAD 1. 5280 West Kingsdown
TQ 56 SE 6/237 1.6.67 Church of St Edmund I 2. Saxon, Norman and C14. Chancel and nave without chancel arch between them, tower at the south-west corner of the chancel, south porch and vestry at the north-west corner of the nave. Built of flint in fairly regular courses with tiled roof. The nave and square tower are Saxo-Norman and the chancel may be also although the windows are decorated. Interior contains wall paintings of second half of C12, the Sacrifice of Cain and Abel and Cain killing Abel. Some C14 stained glass in the nave. North and south windows. (See Arch.Cant. Vol XXXV). Listing NGR: TQ5798363738 (1)

Description from record TQ 56 SE 4 :
[TQ 5798 6335] Church [T.U.] (2) The Church of St. Edmund, Kingsdown, is 12th c. and later. (3) In normal use. (4) 1. WEST KINGSDOWN FAWKHAM ROAD West Kingsdown Church of St Edmund TQ 56 SE 6/237 1.6.67 2. Saxon, Norman and C14. Chancel and nave without chancel arch between them, tower at the south-west corner of the chancel, south porch and vestry at the north-west corner of the nave. Built of flint in fairly regular courses with tiled roof. The nave and square tower are Saxo-Norman and the chancel may be also although the windows are decorated. Interior contains wall paintings of second half of C12, the Sacrifice of Cain and Abel killing Abel. Some C14 stained glass in the nave. North and south windows. (See Arch.Cant. Vol XXXV). (5) St Edmund, West Kingsdown. Nave and tall lean tower at south east corner are Saxo-Norman, showing one small window in the nave, with jambs of flint and irregular voussoir stones. The tower is square of flint with flint quoins. In the east wall of the tower a tall blocked arch. Traces of a short Norman south aisle and of a later south chancel chapel. (6) 14th century glass in situ, depicting fish on crimson glass. (7)

Additional Info (8,9, 10, 11,12)

Geotechnical survey of ground and soil conditions.(13)

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

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

<3> Arch. Cant. 25, 1921, 109-16 (plans) (F.C. Elliston Erwood) (OS Card Reference). SKE36992.

<4> F1 ASP 24-Aug-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42258.

<5> DOE(HHR) Dist of Sevenoaks Kent 1982 87 (OS Card Reference). SKE40993.

<6> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 599-600 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37924.

<7> JBAA 43 1887 98-99 (G B Lewis) (OS Card Reference). SKE44982.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 56 SE 4 - August, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE2946.

<9> Wessex Archaeology, 1995, Environmental Statement: West Kingsdown MSA (Unpublished document). SKE7080.

<10> Gifford and Partners, 1999, Church of St. Edmund, King and Martyr, West Kingsdown (Unpublished document). SKE7396.

<11> Gifford and Partners, 1999, Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, West Kingsdown, Kent Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief (Unpublished document). SKE7627.

<12> Gifford and Partners, 2000, Church of St Edmund King and Martyr, West Kingsdown, Kent: Report on Archaeological Watching Brief on Foundation Excavation (Unpublished document). SKE7626.

<13> Gifford and Partners, 1999, Church of St Edmund, King and Martyr, West Kingsdown, Kent: Geotechnical Interpretative Report (Unpublished document). SKE12144.

Sources and further reading