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Monument details

HER Number:TQ 93 SE 4
Type of record:Building
Name:Chapel at Horne's Place, Appledore

Summary

Probably late 14th century, the oldest surviving structure at Horne's Place, Appledore. At the south east angle there is a late 14th century domestic chapel, now used as a barn. The chapel had a domestic role and was built of stone with some brickwork on the south west corner. It stands about 7.5m in height, measures 8 x 5m and is in excellent condition, having been recently renovated. The chapel is of well squared ragstone and has a panelled roof with moulded arched braces on stone corbels. The catherine wheels on the corbels suggest the chapel's dedication. The chapel is scheduled as an ancient monument.


Grid Reference:TQ 9574 3085
Map Sheet:TQ93SE
Parish:APPLEDORE, ASHFORD, KENT

Monument Types

  • CHAPEL (Medieval to Modern - 1366 AD to 2050 AD?)
  • BARN (Post Medieval to Modern - 1800 AD to 2050 AD?)
Protected Status:Scheduled Monument 1014533: DOMESTIC CHAPEL AT HORNE'S PLACE

Full description

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[TQ 9574 3086] Horne's Place [NAT] Chapel [NR] (1)

Horne's Place, Appledore (see TQ 93 SE 7). At the SE angle there is a late C14 (licensed 1366) domestic chapel, now used as a barn. (2)

The chapel at Horne's Place, Appledore, is scheduled an an ancient monument. (3)

A domestic chapel built of stone with some brickwork on the SW corner the chapel stands about 25 feet in height, measures 8 x 5 m and has atiled roof. This building is in excellent condition, having been renovated by the MOW. See GP's AO/63/126/2 chapel from SW /3 chapel from SE. (4)

The chapel is of well squared ragstone and has a panelled roof with moulded arched braces on stone corbels. The catherine wheels on thecorbels suggest the chapel's dedication. (5)

Horne's Place, a Medieval chapel, situated north of the village of Appledore, which forms the earliest surviving wing of the attached house (a private residence). The land containing the site was granted to Matthew Horne in 1276. Before about 1379, Horne's place served as the demense farm for the manor of "Apuldre" or Appledore, owned by Christ Church Priory, Canterbury. Documentary evidence suggests that an earlier small timber chapel was erected by Prior Eastry in 1291. In 1366 William Horne was licensed for one year only for the right to have mass celebrated at the existing chapel rather than the parish church. In 1378 there is further documentary evidence that the chapel was moved as a whole building slightly on the site: this cannot refer to the present stone one. In 1381 during the English Peasant's Revolt led by Wat Tyler, valuables were stolen from the manor house. William Horne, also Justice of the Peace was made one of the commissioners responsible for crushing the revolt in Kent. The first build date of the existing stone chapel is debated; but it includes much early 16th century work. It was in use as a barn during the 19th century and early 20th century. It was restored in the 1950s and is constructed of coarse Kentish Ragstone rubble with some brick, capped with a pitched roof. It measures 8 metres by 4 metres and has two floors. It rests on a partly sunken undercroft (vaulted cellar), used originally for storage. The undercroft has a flag stone floor under which two burials were discovered, and a well. The work from the early 16th century included the brick barrel vault of the undercroft, and a gallery at the west end of the chapel (now removed). The gallery was linked to the ground floor via an external spiral staircase (also removed). The present roof of the chapel dates to the 1520s, and the main trusses rest on corbels decorated with Catherine wheels, suggesting the dedication was to St Catherine. The chapel is in the care of English Heritage. (6)

A domestic chapel dating to the late 14th century with early 16th century alterations and restored in the 1950s. It was in use as a barn during the 19th century and early 20th century. Construction is of coarse Kentish Ragstone rubble with some brick, capped with a pitched roof. (7-8)

A brief history and description. (9)

A history of Horne's Place as a demense farm of Appledore Manor, in the ownership of Christchurch Priory, Canterbury. Much of the evidence comes from "Bedel's Rolls" in the archive of Canterbury Cathedral. These are the records of monks know as Bedels, who kept accounts of repair and other building works on their estates, for Appledore the record runs from 1265 to 1472. A timber chapel was set up at the farm now occupied by Horne's place in 1291 by Prior Eastry. The licence granted to William Horne in 1366 to hear mass at the existing chapel was for one year only- it may have been a reward for hosting a monastic official. The chapel was moved in 1378- the documentary evidence may suggest it was physically dragged rather than being completly dismantled and reassembled. The article notes that this must clearly refers to a small robust timber building not a stone one. (10)

Listed Grade II* (11)

At the time of recording in 2011, online access to the relevant designations for the chapel (Listing and Scheduling noted in sources 6 and 11 above) is available via the National Heritage List for England. (11)

Photographs (12-13)

An archive file, BF39753, held at the National Monuments Record contains a report of site visits to Hornes Place, made in 1981 and 1982, by the Wealden Study Group. The visitors noted that the west wall of the chapel bore signs of fire-damage and speculated that this might have been due to burning at the time of the peasants' revolt- however the report shows they were not yet aware of the nature of the documentary evidence outlined above and assumed that the chapel was the building "licensed" in 1366. The dateable elements of the chapel building, on grounds of style and building technique, were said to be late 15th or early 16th centuries. A report on a subsequent visit in 1989 by RCHME staff also worked from the premise that the licence granted in 1366 meant it was built shortly after that date. It was felt at that time that details of the windows of the chapel were compatible with a later 14th century date. However the report notes that most of the present appearance of the building is of work of the early 16th century (around 1520); the report at the time interpreted this work as "major alterations" to an existing building. The archive file also contains a later letter from Mary Adams (author of the article in source 10) noting reservations about the building being from the late 14th century. (14)


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

<2> Arch Cant 14 1882 363-7 illusts (S Robertson) (OS Card Reference). SKE34717.

<3> AM England and Wales 1958 46 (OS Card Reference). SKE33021.

<4> F1 ASP 01-MAR-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE41872.

<5> Newman, J., 1980, Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, Buildings of England West Kent and the Weald 1980 131 (J Newman) (Monograph). SKE7817.

<6> DOE (IAM) Sams 1988 Kent 2 (OS Card Reference). SKE40769.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 93 SE 4 - March, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4720.

<9> English Heritage, 2005, Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East (Monograph). SKE54290.

<10> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1993, Arch Cant 112 (Article in serial). SKE54291.

<11> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<12> CHAPEL AT HORNE'S PLACE, APPLEDORE, FROM S.E. (Photograph). SKE2559.

<13> CHAPEL AT HORNE'S PLACE, APPLEDORE FROM S.W. (Photograph). SKE2560.

<14> Historic England, Archive material associated with Hornes Place Chapel, Appledore Listed Building (Archive). SKE54292.

Sources and further reading

Cross-ref. Source description
<1>OS Card Reference: OS 6" 1961.
<2>OS Card Reference: Arch Cant 14 1882 363-7 illusts (S Robertson).
<3>OS Card Reference: AM England and Wales 1958 46.
<4>OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 01-MAR-63.
<5>Monograph: Newman, J.. 1980. Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald. Buildings of England West Kent and the Weald 1980 131 (J Newman).
<6>OS Card Reference: DOE (IAM) Sams 1988 Kent 2.
<7>Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TQ 93 SE 4 - March, 1963.
<9>Monograph: English Heritage. 2005. Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East.
<10>Article in serial: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1993. Arch Cant 112. Vol 111, p283-298.
<11>XYMap: English Heritage. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. [Mapped feature: #32976 Church, ]
<12>Photograph: CHAPEL AT HORNE'S PLACE, APPLEDORE, FROM S.E.. OS63/F126/3. Black and White. Negative.
<13>Photograph: CHAPEL AT HORNE'S PLACE, APPLEDORE FROM S.W.. OS63/F126/2. Black and White. Negative.
<14>Archive: Historic England. Archive material associated with Hornes Place Chapel, Appledore Listed Building.