Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1100 to 1894. Parish church and former collegiate church constructed during the 14th century when a chantry and college were founded in it. It has earlier elements present including a 12th century door. Additions to the church took place during the 15th century and 19th century. It was restored in 1894. Alterations and additions also took place in the 20th century. The church is constructed of flint and stone with a plain tile roof.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 86 SE 15:
[TQ87996032] St John's Church (NAT) (1) In normal use (2) Church of St John the Baptist Grade I 14thc with 12th c west door. South porch and restoration 1894. (3) The church of St John the Baptist was enlarged considerably after 1393, when a chantry and college of the Holy Trinity was founded in it by Robert de Bradeqare. Some early features were saved, notably the Norman west doorway in the tower, one or two Decorated Gothic windows, the Decorated south doorway, and a Decorated tower arch with three big chamfers. There is gratifyingly little resatoration. (4)
Additonal info (5).

Information from duplication record for Church, status refs: NBM 3, NBR 52976, Monarch Uid, 527510.

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TQ 86 SE BREDGAR THE STREET (east side)
5/100 Church of St. John 24.1.67 The Baptist
GV I
Parish Church. C14 with C12 west door. South porch and restoration 1894. Flint with stone dressings and plain tiled roof. West tower, nave and south aisle and chancel with continuous north aisle, south porch and external vice. Exterior: 3 stage west tower on plinth with string courses, battlements, large quoins and octagonal stair turret. West doorway Romanesque in 4 orders of nail head, zig zag, roll mould, zig zag, and attached columns. Over it, C19 decorated style 2 light window, with C15 Perpendicular belfry lights, and C20 clock. South aisle with 4 C15 Perp. 2 light windows with quatrefoils over and roll and hollow chamfered drip- moulds. South door C19 in C15 doorway of 3 roll-moulded orders. External octagonal vice, and diagonal buttress at east end of south aisle, with C15 Perp. 3 light and 6 over south east window. Chancel with C19 Perp. style windows. North aisle with C15 Perp. 3 light and 6 over east window, 1 diagonal and 4 offset buttresses, and 3 C15 late Curvilinear traceried windows, of 2 lights with quatrefoils or sexfoils over. Interior: heavy tower arch with triple hollow chamfer, nave arcade of 3 octagonal moulded piers with double hollow chamfered arches, and double hollow chamfered chancel arch. Roof of 4 crown posts. South aisle with doors to external vice for rood stair. Lean to and cross-beamed roof. North aisle has roof of 4 crown posts. North and south aisles each with 1 arch to chancel,with double hollow chamfered arches. Chancel of 2 bays with crown post roof. Fittings: restored cusped piscina in chancel, and south east window responds brought down to form sedillia. Finely moulded piscina on north east aisle wall. C17 screen to tower of 2 tiers of turned balusters and low single central door. C14 octagonal font on restored base. Monuments: In the chancel north wall to Terrey Aldersey d. 1670 oval plaque with Latin inscription with bolection moulded surround on shrouded death's head, and broken swan-neck pediment with achievement. In the north aisle, wall plaque to Humphrey Clarke, also Woodchurch d. 1608. Black and white marble, with base on demi-angel with side scrolls, semi-circular headed plaque and corinthian columns supporting frieze and broken pediment with cartouche, and obelisks over. To west of this, wall plaque to Thomas Brenchley, d. 1818. Black and white plaque with cornice and obelisk over, with large urn flanked by burning torches, by Patten and Brisley of Rochester. On west wall, brass to Thomas Coly d. 1518, a clergy man holding a chalice, 19½" inches long, with Latin inscription. Fragments of C14 and C15 glass in north aisle east window, includes Man of Sorrows. Two coats of Arms on lozenge panels in north aisle, and Royal Arms of George III over south door. (See B.0.E. Kent II. 1983 pp 157-8). Listing NGR: TQ8796460250 (6)

HE archive material: BF052976 ST JOHN THE BAPTISTS CHURCH, BREDGAR File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.
OP24997 View of the doorway to St John the Baptist's Church, Bredgar

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

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

<2> F1 CFW 01-Jul-63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42376.

<3> DOE (HHR) Swale Boro Kent 27 Nov 1984 33 (OS Card Reference). SKE40619.

<4> Bldgs of Eng NE E Kent 1983 157-8 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37831.

<5> Field report for monument TQ 86 SE 15 - July, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4598.

Sources and further reading