Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II* listed building. Main construction periods 1100 to 1910. Church. C12 and C13, restored in 1821. Stone, with rendered mortar. Tower partly timber framed, with upper stage tile-hung. Slate roof to nave, plain tiles to chancel, wood shingles to tower. The finest survivals of the mid-12th century church, however, are the south and west doorways to the nave, and the chancel arch. All have imposts with scalloped capitals, surmounted by a roll-moulding and chevroned voussoir blocks. The original bases to the chancel arch, (with nailhead decoration), were uncovered in the 1910 underpinning. There was a third smaller doorway on the north side of the chancel, but this was most-unfortunately destroyed in 1910. The one other later medieval addition to the church, perhaps of the 14th century, are the two large western buttresses to the nave. They have a plinth and a higher moulded string-course, and may be associated with the putting in of a small timber bell-turret at the west end of the nave, with a shingled spire over it. Unfortunately all this was replaced in 1821. With all this repair and restoration, there is not much left of the original medieval church. However the shell of the nave and chancel survive from the mid-12th century, and the original nave quoins of Caen stone can still be seen on the south-east and south-west corners of the nave. The lower eastern quoins of the chancel, also in Caen stone, survive, but the upper quoins have been rebuilt in red brick. The quoins to the 1821 north extension to the nave are also partly of reused Caen stone, with some larger Ragstone quoins and two ? Reigate stone blocks.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Altered 1821, Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD? to 2050 AD)
• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 12 NW 1 :
[TR 1030 2974] Church (NAT) (1)

The Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dymchurch, is largely twelfth century with some 19th century reconstruction in 1821. (2)

In normal use. (3)

TR 103 298 DYMCHURCH HIGH STREET (west side) 4/61 Church of St. Peter and St. Paul 9.6.59 GV II* Parish Church. C12 and C13, restored in 1821. Stone, with rendered mortar. Tower partly timber framed, with upper stage tile-hung. Slate roof to nave, plain tiles to chancel, wood shingles to tower. Small west tower, nave, south porch, chancel. West tower: 1821, built between 2 existing stone buttresses at west end of nave. 2 stages with pyramidal tower. Rectangular louvres to upper stage. C19 pointed-arched wooden casement to west, and ribbed west door under flat bracketted hood. Inner doorway C12 with round-headed arch of 3 orders (plain, fat roll and chevrons) springing from square moulded abaci. Single shaft either side with scalloped cushion capital and moulded base. Nave: no plinth. Rounded C19 kneelers. Two C19 south windows in an early C15 style. South porch: 1910. Pebbledashed with plain tile roof on moulded plinth. Moulded 2-centred arched outer doorway. Inner doorway C12, similar to west doorway but with rows of small nailheads visible within base moulding. Chancel: C12, east end possibly rebuilt in 1821. Single chamfered lancet-type light to north and to south. Similar but broader light to east. Semi-octagonal north-east vestry of 1910 not included. Nave: north elevation: 1821, with low plinth. Rendered rectangular stack to east end. Two C19 windows in an early C15 style. two C19 west windows to north of tower. Interior: structure: broad aisle-less nave,widened to north in 1821. C12 chancel arch, plain to east, decorated to west with fat roll and chevrons springing from square moulded abaci, each surmounting single shaft with voluted cushion capital and moulded base. Narrow tiles laid in herringbone pattern infilling archways of south and west doorways. Roof: nave roof 1821, in 5 cants with 3 queen-post trusses. Chancel roof of common rafters and collars re-using older ashlar-pieces. Fittings: no stoups or piscinae. Broad plain-chamfered pointed-arched aumbry in east wall of nave to south of chancel arch, linked to much taller, broad, hollow-chamfered opening, possibly a sedile, in south wall of nave towards east end. Both have roll chamfer-stops. The "sedile" has key-pattern wall-painting within head, with traces of superimposed patterning. Font, medieval or C17, with circular bowl, octagonal shaft, with fat roll to base above short cylinder with fins to a final rectangular plinth, all with pronounced vertical tooling. Gallery of 1821 spanning west end on 5 rectangular Doric columns, with fielded panels, and splat balusters to staircase in south-west corner. Royal Arms 1778 on north wall of nave. Monuments: wall tablet on south wall of nave at east end to Captain Timothy Bedingfeild, d.1693, and Mary his wife, d.1714; black and white marble on moulded plinth with consoles, and moulded cornice surmounted by emblem. (J. Newman, Buildings of England Series, West Kent and the Weald, 1980). (4)(5)

Until the beginning of the 19th century, this church consisted of just a nave and chancel of the mid-12th century, and two large western buttresses (of perhaps the 14th century). Then, in 1821, the north wall of the nave was demolished and the whole nave was extended to the north by about 14 feet. A new shallower-pitched queen-post roof (with a span of about 36 feet) was then put on, and a western gallery was inserted and the whole church was reseated. At the same time, a very small turret with porch below, was built in timber between the western buttresses. It has a small weather-boarded top (containing three 1685 bells, made by Christopher Hodson), and a pyramid roof.

In 1910 major repairs were carried out, including the underpinning of the chancel arch, and the south side of the church. A new semi-octagonal vestry was built on the north-east, with a new door from the chancel, and the old south porch was replaced by the present one. At the same time, four two-light `Perpendicular' windows of Bath-stone were apparently put into the north and south sides of the nave, and two other windows were put into the west end of the north extension. The upper `Perpendicular' one which lights the gallery has one reused (?15th century) spandrel fragment. The zig-zag tile filling of the tympana of the 12th century doorways also perhaps dates to this time.

The bells were rehung in 1931, and a niche was rediscovered on the north-east side of the nave in 1934, but the final major repairs came in 1958, when the chancel roof was completely replaced (apart from a few ashlar pieces), and the walls were again repaired. The 1821 pews were also replaced from 1958 onwards with modern ones. The organ had been put in the gallery in 1923.

With all this repair and restoration, there is not much left of the original medieval church. However the shell of the nave and chancel survive from the mid-12th century, and the original nave quoins of Caen stone can still be seen on the south-east and south-west corners of the nave. The lower eastern quoins of the chancel, also in Caen stone, survive, but the upper quoins have been rebuilt in red brick. The quoins to the 1821 north extension to the nave are also partly of reused Caen stone, with some larger Ragstone quoins and two ? Reigate stone blocks.

The finest survivals of the mid-12th century church, however, are the south and west doorways to the nave, and the chancel arch. All have imposts with scalloped capitals, surmounted by a roll-moulding and chevroned voussoir blocks. The original bases to the chancel arch, (with nailhead decoration), were uncovered in the 1910 underpinning. There was a third smaller doorway on the north side of the chancel, but this was most-unfortunately destroyed in 1910. It was described by Glynne in 1868 as a `Norman doorway with cylindrical mouldings and shafts'. The west doorway to the nave is more hidden because it is between the later buttresses in the 1821 western porch.

In the late 13th century three wide lancets, with rre-arches were put into the chancel. The eastern lancet has, however, been much rebuilt, and externally there are several areas of cement repairs. In the south-east corner of the nave, there are niches in the walls covered by pointed arches with chamfers around the edges and bar-stops at the bottom. They must also be later 13th century, though their function is not clear. The larger niche in the south wall has some original painted plaster (a false ashlar design) in its back wall, though only the upper part is now visible.

The one other later medieval addition to the church, perhaps of the 14th century, are the two large western buttresses to the nave. They have a plinth and a higher moulded string-course, and may be associated with the putting in of a small timber bell-turret at the west end of the nave, with a shingled spire over it. Unfortunately all this was replaced in 1821 (for earlier details, see Petries' 1806 view from the south-west).

There are two mass dials on the eastern side of the south nave door, and a third one (slightly more elaborate) was put on the south-east nave quoins, perhaps after the first (late medieval) south porch was built.

The slightly strange font has tooling that may suggest a 17th century date. It has a circular bowl on an octagonal shaft `spurred' base.

A few c. 18th century large red tiles in the church. (7)

Watching brief during the underpinning of the vestry revealed numerous graves (the vestry being built on the pre-existing churchyard). A preserved land surface of possible Roman date was found, suggesting Roman activity in the vicinity. This slope of the land showed that the church was originally built on the top of a high point in the landscape, which is not apparent in the modern landscape. The foundations of the Norman church are typical of churches of that date. The foundations of the early 19th century north aisle is unusual as it mimics the foundations of the Norman church (i.e. shallow foundations of roughly hewn stone) rather than brick which was common practice at the time.
Within the church the removal of damp-affected plaster revealed construction details walls. In the chancel the location of a possible wooden screen dividing the chancel was identified, which would have been removed during a scheme of medieval alterations. This would have placed the piscina halfway along the south wall east of the screen, with the 'priest door' halfway along the north wall west of the screen - an apparently unusal configuration. The chancel walls showed signs of previous repair works, and a blocked opening was revealed adjacent to the south door of the church, which was possibly for a holy water stoup. (8)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 103 298 DYMCHURCH HIGH STREET (west side)
4/61 Church of St. Peter and St. Paul 9.6.59 GV II*
Parish Church. C12 and C13, restored in 1821. Stone, with rendered mortar. Tower partly timber framed, with upper stage tile-hung. Slate roof to nave, plain tiles to chancel, wood shingles to tower. Small west tower, nave, south porch, chancel. West tower: 1821, built between 2 existing stone buttresses at west end of nave. 2 stages with pyramidal tower. Rectangular louvres to upper stage. C19 pointed-arched wooden casement to west, and ribbed west door under flat bracketted hood. Inner doorway C12 with round- headed arch of 3 orders (plain, fat roll and chevrons) springing from square moulded abaci. Single shaft either side with scalloped cushion capital and moulded base. Nave: no plinth. Rounded C19 kneelers. Two C19 south windows in an early C15 style. South porch: 1910. Pebbledashed with plain tile roof on moulded plinth. Moulded 2-centred arched outer doorway. Inner doorway C12, similar to west doorway but with rows of small nailheads visible within base moulding. Chancel: C12, east end possibly rebuilt in 1821. Single chamfered lancet-type light to north and to south. Similar but broader light to east. Semi-octagonal north-east vestry of 1910 not included. Nave: north elevation: 1821, with low plinth. Rendered rectangular stack to east end. Two C19 windows in an early C15 style. two C19 west windows to north of tower. Interior: structure: broad aisle-less nave,widened to north in 1821. C12 chancel arch, plain to east, decorated to west with fat roll and chevrons springing from square moulded abaci, each surmounting single shaft with voluted cushion capital and moulded base. Narrow tiles laid in herringbone pattern infilling archways of south and west doorways. Roof: nave roof 1821, in 5 cants with 3 queen-post trusses. Chancel roof of common rafters and collars re-using older ashlar-pieces. Fittings: no stoups or piscinae. Broad plain- chamfered pointed-arched aumbry in east wall of nave to south of chancel arch, linked to much taller, broad, hollow-chamfered opening, possibly a sedile, in south wall of nave towards east end. Both have roll chamfer-stops. The "sedile" has key-pattern wall-painting within head, with traces of superimposed patterning. Font, medieval or C17, with circular bowl, octagonal shaft, with fat roll to base above short cylinder with fins to a final rectangular plinth, all with pronounced vertical tooling. Gallery of 1821 spanning west end on 5 rectangular Doric columns, with fielded panels, and splat balusters to staircase in south-west corner. Royal Arms 1778 on north wall of nave. Monuments: wall tablet on south wall of nave at east end to Captain Timothy Bedingfeild, d.1693, and Mary his wife, d.1714; black and white marble on moulded plinth with consoles, and moulded cornice surmounted by emblem. (J. Newman, Buildings of England Series, West Kent and the Weald, 1980).
Listing NGR: TR1034429640 (9)

<1> OS 6" 1937-8 (OS Card Reference). SKE48348.

<2> Elliston Erwood, F. C., 1925, Notes on the Churches of Romney Marsh, 1923, Arch. Cant. Vol. 37, 1925, 202-3 (plan) (F.C. Elliston Erwood) (Article in serial). SKE7802.

<3> F1 ASP 22-MAR-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42237.

<4> DOE(HHR) Dist of Shepway Kent April 1985 29 (OS Card Reference). SKE41061.

<5> Bldgs of Eng W Kent & the Weald 1980 263 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37859.

<6> 1963, Field report for monument TR 12 NW 1 - March, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5318.

<7> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1987, 90, 94, Church Survey - Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Dymchurch. (Unpublished document). SKE7572.

<8> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2011, An archaeological watching brief during vestry underpinning including observations during interior plaster removal at St Peter and St Paul's Church, High Street, Dymchurch (Unpublished document). SKE16768.

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

Sources and further reading

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