Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1200 to 1999 C14th

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1200 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 02 NW 3 :
[TR 02812767] St. George's Church [NAT] (1) The Church of St. George, Ivychurch is largely C14th. The base of a C13th respond, north of the altar, indicates that an earlier building stood on the site. (2) In normal use. See GP/AO/63/126/5 : from S.W. (3) Parish Church of St. George, Grade I, B2070 (north-east side). C13th, late C14th and C15th, restored 1880-90 by R.T Blomfield and in the late C20th. (For full description see list). (4,5) Reminiscent of great fenland churches, this is one of the largest and most attractive of the fascinating group in Romney Marsh. Clerestories are quite a rare feature in Kent parish churches, but Ivychurch has one throughout the nave and chancel with 3 parallel aisles stretching the full length of both. This is an interesting and uncommon plan for its date - towards mid C14th, when the whole church was rebuilt. (6) No chancel arch, nor any distinction between the 7 bays of the arcades which run uniformly supported by octagonal pillars from W. tower to E wall of the church. The original Early English chancel was narrower than the present one, shown by the existence of the base of a C13th respond on E wall (a). Whole N aisle is partitioned off. (7) Additional bibliography (not consulted). (8)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 028 277 IVYCHURCH B2070 (north-east side)
6/76 Church of St George 9.6.59 GV I
Parish church. C13, late C14 and C15, restored 1888-90 by R.T. Blomfield and in late C20. Tower roughly coursed stone, rest mixed roughly coursed stone and flint. Gable of north aisle weatherboarded. Nave roof leaded, north aisle has plain tile roof, rest not visible. West tower, continuous nave and chancel with continuous north and south aisles and chapels. South porch with parvis chamber. West tower: C15. Three stages on moulded plinth, with battlements above a moulded string. Integral angle buttresses. Polygonal north-east stair turret, also with moulded string, but plain-coped and taller than tower. 2-light belfry windows with hoodmoulds; those to north and east with trefoil-headed lights and square heads, those to west and south with quatrefoil between vertical bars. Small hollow-chamfered rectangular light to north and south of second stage. C14 west window, probably re-set (J. Newman, Buildings of England Series, West Kent and the Weald, 1980), with cusped intersecting tracery, cavetto mullions, moulded architrave, and hoodmould. Two-centred arched west door with moulded architrave and square-topped quatrefoiled spandrels springing from attached columns with moulded capitals and bases. Hoodmould. Nave:clerestory of four blocked quatrefoiled lights to north and south. South aisle: Late C14. On moulded plinth with moulded string and plain parapet. 3 buttresses. Lean-to roof. No west window, 3 south windows, two to west and one to east of porch; one C19, one late C14, restored, of 2 trefoil- headed lights with sexfoil and hoodmould, and one, restored, 3-lights, traceried, with cambered head. South porch:C14. Integral with south aisle, but taller. On moulded plinth with string and battlements. Small hollow- chamfered rectangular lights to parvis chamber to east,west and south.Diagonal buttresses. Rounded, battlemented north-west stair turret in angle with nave. Chamfered 2-centred arched doorway with hoodmould. Inner doorway with 2 centred arch, roll-and-fillet moulding and hoodmould. Medieval backing to door, Low stone seats along east and west walls. Rendered quadripartite vault with exposed hollow-chamfered stone ribs springing from moulded corner capitals. South Chapel:Late C14, possibly with C13 origins. No plinth. Moulded string. Parapet continuous with that of south aisle. Pilaster buttress adjacent to south aisle buttress, 2 further south buttresses and south-east angle buttress. Lean-to roof. 3 south windows, two C19 in a C14 style and one of two lights with a sexfoil. Untraceried east window of 2 trefoil-headed lights with cambered head and hoodmould.Chancel late C14 with C13 origins. No plinth. Gabled. 2 buttresses. Clerestorey with two south windows of 2 trefoil-headed lights and 3 quatrefoiled north lights. 2-centred arched east window of 5 narrow uncusped cavetto-moulded lights with hoodmould. North Chapel:Late C14 with C13 origins. High plinth slightly overlapping chancel and stepped down under window. Blocked C15 west window of 5 stepped trefoil-headed lights with tracery above, cambered head and hoodmould. North elevation of north chapel and north aisle: Continuous. Wall battered towards base. Moulded plinth resumes to west of north door. North-east angle buttress and 6 evenly-spaced north buttresses. Moulded string and continuous stone-coped parapet. Lean-to roof to chapel, double pitched, gabled roof to aisle. Circular north-west stair turret, also on plinth, with string and stone-coped parapet, but taller than aisle. Chamfered doorway leads from it onto aisle roof. 6 windows, evenly spaced between buttresses: 4 to east and 2 to west of north door, with variety of tracery patterns, 2 restored in C19, all with hoodmoulds. 2-centred arched north door, also between buttresses, with moulded architrave and hoodmould. Finely carved C14 west window of 3 trefoil- headed lights with cascade of mouchettes above, and hoodmould. Interior: structure: continuous late C14 seven-bay north and south arcades to nave and chancel, with pointed arches of 2 hollow-chamfered orders and octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. Tall C15 moulded tower arch with one attached column either side with moulded capitals and bases. Moulded C13 semi-circular column base abutting east wall of chancel towards north side. Low stone seat, possibly base of an earlier wall along part of south wall of south chapel. 3-centred arched moulded stone doorway with broach stops to tower stair turret. Moulded elliptical arched stone doorway to north aisle stair turret. Chamfered doorway to parvis chamber stairs with broach stops and pointed arched head. Remains of piscina with cusped ogee head in south wall of south chapel. Pointed arched stoup to south door with cushion stops and very deep quatrefoiled basin with sunk panel to outer face. Roof: king-and-queen-post roof to nave; 5 king- posts with moulded capitals and bases and heavy upward braces. Broad ridge-piece. Single continuous purlin to each side. Queen-posts with braces to purlin and, elongated, to rafter above, forming distorted arch with the king-post braces. Chamfered tie-beams with braced pendant posts. Unusual for Kent. King-and-queen-strut roof to chancel with 4 short heavily braced,rebated, broach-stopped king- posts and broad chamfered ridge-piece. 2 tiers of continuous purlins sandwiched, over tie-beams, between outer and inner rafters. Inner rafters stop short of the ends of the tie-beams and are pegged at tops into undersides of the braces from king posts to outer rafters. Heavy cambered, slightly moulded tie-beams braced to short pendant posts. Very short curved queen-struts between tie-beams and inner rafters. Also unusual for Kent and possibly not medieval. South aisle and chapel and north chapel have staggered butt purlins, some moulded. One principal rafter in south aisle painter: C W . North aisle roof plastered. 1703 IS RR Fittings: octagonal font with moulded plinth on 2 octagonal steps, probably late C14 or C15. Two L-shaped stalls with 2-light blind- traceried panels, shafted arms to seats, and mortices for screens on backs of seats. C15 traceried screens to north and south of third bay from east. Altar rails with late C17 or C18 turned balusters and C20 rail. Screen to base of tower arch dated 1686 with spiked top rail and turned balusters above boarded base. C18 pulpit with fielded panels. Late C18 screens to north aisle. Central bay of chancel has panelled north and south screens with chinoiserie gates said to have come from the church of St. Clement, Old Romney (Miss. A. Roper, The Church of St. Clement, Old Romney, 1983). Royal Arms 1775 over north door. 8 oval text boards to nave. Decalogue, Creed and Lord's Prayer on 4 boards to east end. C18 panelled funeral hudd. Fragments of stained glass in east window of south chapel. (J. Newman, Buildings of England Series, West Kent and the Weald, 1980). Listing NGR: TR0214428694 (12)

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

<2> JBAA NS 30 1924 45 (OS Card Reference). SKE45004.

<3> F1 CFW 14-MAR-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42573.

<4> DOE(HHR) Dist of Shepway Kent April 1985 37-38 (OS Card Reference). SKE41062.

<5> Bldgs of Eng W Kent and the Weald 1980 347-8 (OS Card Reference). SKE37994.

<6> Arch Cant 42 1930 256-258 (Report of Proceedings) (OS Card Reference). SKE35113.

<7> Arch Cant 37 1925 206 (FC Elliston Enwood) (OS Card Reference). SKE35055.

<8> Arch Cant 13 1880 450-459 (S Robertson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34700.

<9> Country Life 14 1903 428 (OS Card Reference). SKE39403.

<10> Field report for monument TR 02 NW 3 - March, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5044.

<11> ST. GEORGES CHAPEL AT IVYCHURCH FROM S.W. (Photograph). SKE2557.

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

Sources and further reading