Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1200 to 1872. The Church of St Dunstan, Snaregate, consists of 13th century nave and aisles, 14th century. chancel and chapels, 15th century. tower and 19th c. porch. A 16th century terracotta painting of a four-masted ship of a type known as a 'Great Ship' was discovered on the north wall of St Dunstan's Church opposite the main entrance. The painting was uncovered during the late 1960s when work was being done on the church. There is a tradition that the painting of a ship on the north wall and opposite the main entrance of a Marsh church meant that the church was a safe place to hide smuggled goods. Restored 1870-72 by C T Whitley of Dover.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)
• GRAFFITI (Graffito of a ship, Medieval to Modern - 1500 AD? to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 92 NE 5:
[TQ 99062864] St Dunstan's Church. (1) The Church of St Dunstan, Snaregate, consists of 13th c. nave and aisles, 14th c. chancel and chapels, 15th c. tower and 19th c. porch. The whole was restored in 1871. (2) In normal use. (3) A 16th century terracotta painting of a four-masted ship of a type known as a 'Great Ship' was discovered on the north wall of St Dunstan's Church opposite the main entrance. The painting was uncovered during the late 1960s when work was being done on the church. Mrs Baker, an authority on mural paintings, was consulted and considered it a 16th century painting. It has since been cleaned and restored. There is a tradition that the painting of a ship on thenorth wall and opposite the main entrance of a Marsh church meant that the church was a safe place to hide smuggled goods. (4) Church of St Dunstan. Grade II*. Parish church. C13, C14, C15 and late C18, restored 1870-72 by C T Whitley of Dover. (5) Of the five churches in Kent dedicated to St Dunstan, Snargate appearsto be the latest foundation. (6)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 991 286 SNARGATE
5/111 Church of St Dunstan 9.6.59 GV II*
Parish church. C13, C14, C15 and late C18, restored 1870-72 by C.T. Whitley of Dover. Tower galletted ragstone; east end of chancel small blocks of roughly squared and coursed ragstone; south elevation of south aisle and chapel pebbledashed, rest roughly coursed flint and ragstone. Plain tile roof. West tower, south porch, nave and chancel with continuous aisles reaching to east end. West tower: C15. 2 stages on moulded plinth, with battlements above a moulded string. Diagonal buttresses. Polygonal north- east stair turret with conical stone roof. Chamfered two-light belfry windows. C15 three-light traceried west window in casement-moulded architrave with hoodmould. West doorway with two-centred arch formerly moulded, with slender attached shafts either side with moulded capitals and bases. Archit- rave, casement-moulded and square-topped, with hoodmould, and traces of carved spandrels. Nave: slightly exposed at west end, where plinthless. South aisle and south chapel: south aisle C13, south chapel C14. Walls have continuous moulded plinth and cornice. Angle buttresses to east and west, and four plain south buttresses. Lean-to roof. Un-traceried square-topped west window with 3 cinquefoil-headed lights and hoodmould. 5 similar 2-light south windows and similar C15 traceried 3-light east window. Stone doorway to chapel at junction with chancel, with plain partially-dressed outer and round-arch inner architrave.Stump of wall of wall to south of doorway suggests it gave access to a further unit. South porch : late C18. Red brick in Elemish bond on stepped brick plinth with plain tile roof.2-centred arched Gothik doorway.Wooden door with inset light.Moulded stone Medieval inner doorway with 2-centred arch. Chancel: on moulded plinth with 2 buttresses. 2-centred arched traceried east window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with cavetto mullions and hoodmould. Late C19 quatrefoiled window in gable above. Moulded string beneath east window over inscription: "This Chancel was restored by Edward Wilkinson Rector A.D.1870." North aisle and north chapel: north aisle C13, (but later than south aisle), north chapel C14, (but earlier than south chapel). Gabled, with diagonal buttresses to east and west, and 5 north buttresses. C15 two-light traceried east window. Three north windows similar to those to south, 2-centred arched west window with hoodmould, restored with Y tracery. Small blocked rectangular light with chamfered stone architrave in west gable. Moulded 2-centred arched north doorway to west end of chapel. Moulded 3-centred arched north doorway with hoodmould towards west end of aisle. Interior: Structure: 4-bay C13 nave arcade of circular columns with bell capitals and bases and pointed arches of 2 plain-chamfered orders. North arcade different from and slightly later than south. North arcade dies into wall to east and west. South arcade terminates on crocketted corbels with carved heads. 2-bay C14 chancel arcade with one north and one south column, both with moulded capitals and bases, but that to north earlier; hollow chamfer to south-east bay, otherwise 2 orders of plain chamfers. No chancel arch. Moulded C15 tower arch incorporating attached columns with moulded capitals and bases. Blocked round-arched doorway with hollow chamfer to east end of south chapel, with part of arcade wall cut back to allow access. Plain squarsheaded north doorway to north chapel. 3-centred arched north aisle doorway to north chapel. 3-centred arched tower stairs doorway with hollow chamfer and broach stops. Very small pointed-arched rood-loft doorway with hinges and rebate for door about 4 feet up in south side of north aisle at junction with north chapel. Round-arched opening through opposite wall on south side of nave. Trefoil-headed piscina with renewed cill to east end of chancel. Plain rectangular piscina to south side of north chapel. Remains of stoup to east of north aisle door. Roof: 5 crown;posts to nave; 3 to east with moulded capitals and bases on moulded tie-beams. Pendant posts with solid spandrels, each pierced with one quatrefoil and 2 trefoils. 2 west trusses are repairs. Chancel roof largely C19 with 2 crown-posts on medieval tie-beams. South aisle and chapel have continuous aligned butt purlin roof. North aisle and chapel have continuous sans-purlin common-rafter roof with collars and sous-laces; ashlar pieces to north only; 7 plain tie-beams, 5 of which have central bosses, that to east carved with coat of arms of John Copuldike (circa temp. Richard II) (Canon Scott Robertson, "Churches in Romney Marsh", Archeologia Cantiana Vol. XIII 1880). Fittings and decorations:Font of dressed stone, square, on square stone base with moulded plinth up 2 stone steps from south, set against west pier of north arcade. Wall painting: of a "Great Ship" of circa 1500 in red ochre on north wall of north aisle. (G. Nesbitt-Wood, "Wall Painting of a Sixteenth Century Ship". Arch.Cant. LXXXVII 1972). Worn Medieval patterned floor tiles to east end of north aisle and near font. 7 oval text boards erected 1794. 2 lead plagues near north door, from roof, one dated 1773, the other with embossed inscription: "J. Bourne, C. Warden Warington Romney Plumber T. Apps Carpenter And all his jolly men 1780". Monuments: table tomb in north-east bay of chancel arcade with moulded plinth, corniced lid, pointed quatrefoils to sides and indent of a brass on lid. (J. Newman, Buildings of England, West Kent and The Weald, 1980). Listing NGR: TQ9765028032 (8)

Not Given (Collection). SKE6509.

<1> OS 6" 1962 (OS Card Reference). SKE48371.

<2> MHLG Prov List Romney Marsh RD June 1956 18 No 4/1 (OS Card Reference). SKE47158.

<3> F1 ASP 04.03.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE41913.

<4> Arch Cant 87 1972 208-9 illus (G Nesbitt-Wood) (OS Card Reference). SKE35886.

<5> DOE (HHR) Dist of Shepway Kent April 1985 59-60 (OS Card Reference). SKE40354.

<6> Arch Cant 13 1880 418-424 (S Robertson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34698.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 92 NE 5 - March, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4696.

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

Sources and further reading