Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1300 to 1867. Church, 13th/14th century

Monument Types

• PARISH CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1300 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TQ 73 NW 3 :
[TQ 70373811] St. Margaret's Church [NAT] (1) The Church of St. Margaret, Horsmonden, consists of nave and side aisles, west tower, chancel and south chancel, and a 14th c. oak porch to the north. The northern pillars and arches are c.1305, the southern c.1285. (2) In normal use. (3) Parish Church of St. Margaret. Grade B. Nave and side aisles, western tower, chancel and south chancel. The 14th century oak porch to the north is in good condition. The northern pillars and arches are about 1305, the southern 1285. The northern arches end in a respond eastwards, left in a hollow only taking the under member. The southern end on a bracket, part of the respond cut away. A clerestory with lintels within. The chancel arch remains, and aisle arch which contains elegant screen work. In the south wall are two rood-stair turrets. Interesting brasses. Modern stained glass. (4) St Margaret, Horsmonden, sandstone, with a handsome 15th century tower of four stages with diagonal buttresses, south-east turret and battlements. The body of the church is early 14th century, the clerestory 15th and a modern chancel arch. In the restoration of 1867 most of the north wall was re-built. (5) Listed Grade I. (6) (8)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
HORSMONDEN BRICK KILN LANE TQ 73 NW (south east side) 4/12 Church of St.Margaret 20.10.54 GV I
Parish church. Early C14, altered and extended C15, repaired c.1700 and restored 1864-1867 by T.H.Wyatt. Sandstone with slate roofs, timber north porch on sandstone base with shingled roof. Chancel with south chapel, nave with aisles, north porch and western tower. Four stage tower on plinth with triple offset diagonal buttresses, weathered string courses and battlements and south eastern stair turret. Two light belfry openings, with single lights below and large 3 light Perpendicular west window in deep reveal with hood mould. Doorway with attached shafts and moulded arch in moulded and hollow chamfered surround with label hood, the spandrels with quatrefoils and arms of Poynings and Fitzpaine (celebrating a marriage of 1380). South aisle with weathered plinth and double moulded offset buttresses and restored hollow chanfered corbel table to parapet. Two identical vices, that to east marking off the south chapel. Triangular headed Perpendicular fenestration. Chapel without the parapet and with diagonal buttress with reset carving of 2 heads and depressed arched Perp. south window and 3 light east window with gable light and restored gable cross over. C19 Chancel east window, large lancets to north and south and north door with the arms of Rev. Stephen Bate, rector 1679-1724, who rebuilt the north aisle and added the vestry c.1700, the scrolled kneelers carrying the nave gables are of this date; C15 clerestorey , 4 three light Perp. windows to each side. Reset C14 ogee headed reticulated east window to aisle, north wall with plinth, regular buttresses and Perpendicular style fenestration. C14 ogee headed aisle west window. North porch with moulded bargeboards enriched with fern decoration and projecting on brackets, with wave moulded door surround with hood mould and sunk spandrels with cross and acorn motifs, contemporary door but C19 restored inner doorway to church.Interior: western door and window set in deep chanfered reveal, tower arch with double hollow chamfered surround and ribbed hollow chamfered arch on tall attached shafts with octagonal heads. Have with 3 bay arcades, both with alternating round and octagonal piers, but with hollow chanfered arches and attached shaft responds to north and simple chamfered arches and corbelled responds to south (an earlier build). Roof of 2 tall crown posts. Aisles with lean-to roofs, the south aisle and south chapel of one build, the window reveals all with hollow chamfered and roll moulded surrounds with chanfered arch on octagonal corbels between aisle and chapel. Chancel arch C19 with doubled roll mouldings to arch on angel corbels. Chancel with sans purlin trussed rafter roof on moulded wall plates and with deep splayed reveals to windows and north doors. Two bay double chamfered arcade to south chapel on octagonal pier and responds. Fittings: ogee headed cinque-cusped piscina in chancel and oddly shaped wall recess with some stylised flower ornament (the tomb recess of John Bobbe, rector 1462-84 ). The 2 external vices in the south wall mark the unusual feature of 2 rood screens, that to the east probably abandoned because of subsidence in passage through chancel arch pier. Chanfered piscinas and aumbrey in south chapel and south aisle. Parclose screen to east end of south aisle, originally in arch from chancel to south chapel, with simple lower panels and 8 trecusped upper panels with vine leaf frieze with inscription: Orate pro bono statu Alicie Campcon. Alice Sampson lived at Elphicks in Horsmonden and signed her will in October 1508, Font said to be a C17 copy of the original by the same hand as that at St.Lawrence, Hawkhurst; hollow octagonal stem and bowl enriched with shields and roses, Brass 'spider' chandelier in nave with 8 scrolled arms, the orb inscribed: TO THIS PARISH OF HORSMONDEAN THE GIFT OF STEPHEN BATE RECTOR, AMMO 1703 Unexceptional C19 fittings otherwise. Monuments: C14 stone coffin lid in south chapel floor. Brass to Henry de Grofhurst, after 1338, a 46" cleric in full robes with lion at his feet, and holding a lettered scroll, witb full canopy. Joan Austen, d.1604, 18½" brass of woman with wide brimmed hat. Small brow inscription to her husband John Austen, d.1620 reset on nave west wall. Some good basalt ledger slabs, especially under the chancel arch to John Courthope, d.1718. Iron ledger slab to Martha Browne, d,1644 with brass inscription plate. John Read, the inventor of the stomach pump, d.1847, a wall monument with a bust set an a pedestal inscribed: Integrity. C19 glass except rust and west windows by Rosemary Everett, 1946 and 1948. (See B.O.E. Kent I, 1980, 333; see also St.Margart's Church Horsmonden, Anthony Cronk, 1967.)
Listing NGR: TQ7037738141 (9)

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

<2> Churches of Kent vol 2 1913 14 (F Grayling) (OS Card Reference). SKE38995.

<3> F1 CFW 04.02.63 (OS Card Reference). SKE42410.

<4> MHLG 2433/11/A Tonbridge RD Kent Sept 1949 75 (OS Card Reference). SKE47098.

<5> Bldgs of Eng W Kent and the Weald 1980 333 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37991.

<6> Field report for monument TQ 73 NW 3 - February, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE3708.

<7> DNH List 10-Oct-1989 (OS Card Reference). SKE39774.

<8> Diocese of Rochester (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1994, Horsemonden, St Margaret: Diocesan church survey (Unpublished document). SKE29633.

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

Sources and further reading