Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Parish church, possibly formerly a late pre-Conquest private chapel, rebuilt in the 14th century and restored in 1856. The medieval church had a West tower, nave and chancel together with a South aisle and chapel: 13th century work is clearly evident in what is now the arcade between the North aisle and nave. In 1856 Sir George Gilbert Scott added a three-bay South aisle and South vestry, turning the former South aisle and chapel into the nave and chancel in a style matching that of the (now) North aisle. He also rebuilt the East end of what is now the North aisle, and refenestrated the church, refurnished it and rebuilt the top of the tower. Flint and stone rubble, the work by Scott having neat knapped flint; freestone dressings. Clay tiled roofs. North-west tower, nave, chancel, North-East organ chamber, North and South aisles, South vestry.

Monument Types

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

Full description

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(TR 15295771) St Paul's Church (TU). (1) A 14thc church. (2) In normal use. (3) Church of St Paul without the Walls. C14 restored in 1856 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Listed Grade B. (4) Additional bibliography. (5) St Paul: extant by 1200 (6a) and possibly a late pre-Conquest private chapel that acquired parochial status (6b). Scott restoration 1856 and addition of south aisle and top storey of tower. Still in use. (6) Church: chancel and nave are 13th century with a late 12th century tower. South aisle, vestry and west wall are 1856 by Scott, who also built the top stage of the tower. (7)

Until the mid 19th century, the church consisted of a nave and chancel on the north, with a separate tower to the west, and a large south aisle and chapel (wider than the nave) which was probably dedicated to St. John the Baptist. It served, perhaps from the beginning as Hamo Doges chantry chapel (though his house in Chantry Lane was also part of the Chantry). By the later 15th century, this south chapel is called, in wills, the chancel of St. Mary. An altar of All Saints is also mentioned in a 1498 will, as well as of St. John the Evangelist (1480) and various lights. In 1490, a new pair of Organs was bought 'to serve God in the church' - see Testamenta Cantiana (E. Kent, 1987), 61-2.

There is no evidence from the remaining fabric, of anything here earlier than about the middle of the 13th century, and it is clear that the church was extensively rebuilt at this time. It seems highly likely that this was during Hamo Doge's time as Rector, when he was handing over the Patronage to St. Augustine's Abbey, and was endowing a new vicarage (in the 1260). He was also creating for himself and this friend Abbot Roger of Chichester) a chantry here. We also have documentary evidence for the rebuilding of the north wall of the church 3½ feet further north (into the street) in 1264. Permission was given for a 60ft. long new wall, and the present N. wall is c. 69ft. long. Though this has been rebuilt (in knapped flint) at its east end (c. 1847-8), there can be little doubt that the rest of the wall is of c. 1264 with flint, local sandstone, etc. The one original window here is probably a little later in date (c. 1300+) with two lights with ogee trefoil heads. Above is a cusped quatrefoil with an external two centred hood mould. The pre-restoration drawing of the N. wall of the church shows two slightly earlier (later 13th century) windows west of it in the nave (now with new tracery). To the east of it a slim 2-light window (now removed and filled in) and another late 13th century 2 light window. Two new windows were put in here in the old chancel after the rebuilding of c. 1847-8.

The two east windows with their fine examples of 'decorated' tracery must also date to the later 13th century, and could be of the 1270s (ie at the end of Hamo Doge's life).

Inside the church the original arcade with 3 shafts and moulded capitals and bases must date to Doge's time of rebuilding (1260s). The eastern shaft (between the two churches is more elaborately moulded and made entirely of Purbeck Marble. The arches above are simple two centred affairs with chamfered edges.

In the north wall between the old chancel/nave divisions is a trefoil-headed piscina (late 13th century also) which must mark the site of an altar (but ? not the high altar).

The lowest part of the tower has simple openings to E and S with stopped chamfers having bulbous stops (also c. 13th century). The quatrefoil window on the N. side is perhaps of the late 14th century (cf. the windows at the top of the nave aisle walls at the Cathedral).

By the late 15th century there was clearly a rood screen across both chancels (see wills in Test. Cant. (E. Kent 1907) 61-2) and each screen clearly had a cross above it. For example, Richard Berne's will of 1461 requests that he is "buried in the church of St. Paul in the yle before the Cross in the south part of the church". He gave money to the two lights of the cross, the small cross and the cross on the south part of the church." Many other lights and images are mentioned.

A very major restoration was carried out under G. G. Scott between 1847 and 1856, when the church was reconsecrated by the archbishop. This was done under the Revd. William Chesshyre (1842-58) and much of the earlier work was at his own expense. In 1847 work started on the rebuilding of the N.E. side of the church (N wall of the original chancel). Then the upper stage of the tower was rebuilt (earlier it was of stuccoed brickwork), with a new flint face. Because the population of the parish was increasing, it was decided to build a new south aisle and vestry) and to extend the original S. aisle (now the nave) westwards. The old south and west walls were demolished and a new arcade matching the north one, was created. The whole of the west wall was rebuilt (including a refacing of the west wall of the tower) and a pointed roof was put on the tower. Almost all the window jambs, tracery etc were renewed, and only the two east windows and one in the N wall of the church are largely original. New pews and other fittings were then installed and then in 1880 the sanctuary was refurbished with mosaic work, tiles, reredos, etc (the reredos was removed a few years ago). A new organ was installed in the N.E. corner of the church in 1900. New stained glass was also added at various later dates, and all the roofs have been reconstructed.

The old font (with a square bowl panelled, with trefoiled arches, on a square pedestal with angles cut off - see Glynne, p. 134 - description of 1846) was replaced. During the bombing of the last war much damage was done in the surrounding area and the glass was blown in. New east and west window glass was installed in 1951. (8)

Listing Text:




856/5/155 CHURCH STREET
03-DEC-49 ST PAUL'S
(South side)
CHURCH OF ST PAUL WITHOUT THE WALLS

II*
The medieval church had a W tower, nave and chancel together with a S aisle and chapel: C13 work is clearly evident in what is now the arcade between the N aisle and nave. In 1856 Sir George Gilbert Scott added a three-bay S aisle and S vestry, turning the former S aisle and chapel into the nave and chancel in a style matching that of the (now) N aisle. He also rebuilt the E end of what is now the N aisle, and refenestrated the church, refurnished it and rebuilt the top of the tower.

MATERIALS: Flint and stone rubble, the work by Scott having neat knapped flint; freestone dressings. Clay tiled roofs.

PLAN: NW tower, nave, chancel, NE organ chamber, N and S aisles, S vestry

EXTERIOR: All the traceried windows are in the Decorated style by Scott, except for some of the tower windows. The design of the Scott tracery in the N wall matches the C14 tracery of the windows shown in a drawing of 1847. The aisles and nave/chancel are under their own separate gables. The N elevation, butting on to the street, has five windows by Scott, the two E bays of the N wall being rebuilt by him but with old freestone quoins at the NE corner. At the NW corner is a short tower with a moulded N doorway which has a large, chequered stepped buttress alongside and a medieval quatrefoil window and plain slit window below a stringcourse. Above the stringcourse the structure is Scott's design with a two-light Perpendicular belfry windows apart from the E face which has, unusually, a pair of single-light square-headed windows, there being insufficient height to install a tall, central, two-light one. The tower is capped by a low, tiled pyramidal roof. The gables of the E ends of the organ chamber and chancel are flush and have three- and four-light windows. The two windows on the S wall of the chancel have a small, medieval priest¿s door between them. The chancel is also top-lit by a two-light dormer window with tile-hung sides, matching the C19 clerestory. There is a two-light window to the E gable of the S aisle. Scott's vestry has a stack and a shoulder-headed doorway.

INTERIOR: The medieval N arcade has three round piers with moulded capitals and plain, single-chamfered pointed arches. The tower has C13 chamfered arches to its E and S faces with cushion bar stops below the respond capitals. There is no chancel arch. The clerestory takes the form of dormers set in the roof. The nave roof is seven-sided, is plastered and panelled and has C19 tie-beams. The chancel roof is boarded and panelled and preserves attractive Victorian painted decoration over the sanctuary.

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: Colourful mosaic and opus sectile panels of the Evangelists flank the E window and tiles and mosaic below extend round the walls of the sanctuary. A trefoil-headed piscina, probably C13, is housed in the N wall. The font is probably Scott's and has a square bowl decorated with carved roundels on a circular stem with dark marble corner shafts. The nave and aisle seating is a substantially complete C19 scheme with shaped, shouldered ends. There are late C19/early C20 choir stalls, moved to the N aisle. The windows contain several C19 and early C20 stained glass windows, one probably by Hardman in the chancel: one in the s aisle is signed by A L Moore. Monuments include a 1531/2 brass to George Wyndbourne and his wife. Over the NW doorway is a marble bust and escutcheons from the monument to Sir Edward Master (d 1648) set up in St Michael's Chapel in the cathedral. There are several other minor wall monuments.

HISTORY: The structural history of St Paul's is visible back to the C13. The building was enlarged and refitted under George Gilbert Scott. George Gilbert Scott (1811-78) began practice in the late 1830s and became the most successful church architect of his day. Often criticised for over-restoration, his work was in fact usually respectful of medieval buildings, while his new churches generally have a harmonious quality which derived its character from the architecture of the late C13 or early C14. He also designed a number of very important secular buildings, for example the Albert Memorial and the Midland Grand Hotel at St Pancras. He was awarded the RIBA Royal Gold Medal in 1859 and was knighted in 1872. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. At St Paul's he was careful to preserve medieval work where possible leaving the old arcade with its time-worn surfaces and following the existing medieval work in the design of the new. His furnishings and fittings are in line with the new ideas that the Victorians brought to churches in the 1840s

SOURCES:
Anon., St Paul's Church, Parish of St Martin and St Paul (n d).
Newman,J., The Buildings of England: North East and East Kent, 3rd ed. (1983), 243.
Historic photographs in the National Monuments Record, Swindon.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION:
The church of St Paul without the Walls, Canterbury, is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* It has medieval work dating back to the C13 in the tower and N aisle.
* It was enlarged by a leading C19 church architect in a manner respectful of the medieval fabric.
* It has a number of fixtures of interest.




Description from record TR 15 NE 448:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 944 CHURCH STREET ST PAUL'S (South Side)
Church of St Paul without the Walls TR 1557 NW 5/155 3.12.49.
B
2. C14 restored in 1856 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Flint with ashlar and stone quotas. Restored tiled roof. Squat north west tower with hipped tiled roof. The interior has a 3 bay nave with restored clerestory. North and south aisles. Restored traceried windows. .C19 reredos. Stoup,C17 to early C19 wall monuments and 2 small early C16 brasses,
Listing NGR: TR1529357715 (9)

Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, An archaeological evaluation at St Paul's Church, Church Street St Paul's, Canterbury. (Unpublished document). SKE54606.

<1> OS 1/2500 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48127.

<2> MHLG (944/11/A Mar 1962) 19 (OS Card Reference). SKE47031.

<3> F1 ASP 02-FEB-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE41893.

<4> DOE (HHR) City of Canterbury Kent Sept 1973 79 (OS Card Reference). SKE40140.

<5> BOE NE and E Kent 1983 243 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38224.

<6> CBA Churches Comm Bull 25 1989 - compiled 1984 - 13 (T Tatton-Brown) (OS Card Reference). SKE38777.

<7> Hist Builds Survey Cant City Council/RCHME 57022 10 of 12 (OS Card Reference). SKE43845.

<8> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1991, Church Survey -St Paul without the walls, Canterbury. (Unpublished document). SKE7607.

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

Sources and further reading