Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Church of St Giles, Saxon and Later Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 600 to 1899 Saxon church with later alterations. Chancel, nave, north porch and west tower. The walls of the chancel and nave are 12th century, or possibly Saxon, but the church was largely rebuilt in the 14th century. The tower is 15th century and the north porch 19th century.

Monument Types

• CHURCH (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Post Medieval - 600 AD to 1899 AD)
• CHURCH (CHURCH, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon to Modern - 1000 AD? to 2050 AD)

Full description

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(TR 19815126) Ch. (NAT) (1) The Church of St Giles, Kingston, was largely rebuilt in the 14th century but the walls of the chancel and nave are 12th century, possibly Saxon. The tower is 15th century and the north porch 19th century. (2) In normal use. (3) Church of St Giles, Church Lane. Grade I. Chancel, nave north porch and west tower. The walls of the chancel and nave are C12 or possiblySaxon, but the church was largely rebuilt in the C14. The tower is C15 and the north porch C19. (For full description see list). (4) Additional bibliography. (5,6,7)

A small church with a simple unaisled nave and chancel (no chapels, though a Lady Chapel is, oddly, mentioned in a 1525 will), and an added 15th century W. tower. There are also a 19th century vestry and N. porch.

As Elliston Erwood has shown, the plan of the nave and western part of the chancel (and the whole flint quoins) suggest an early Norman date for the earliest part of the church. The chancel was probably extended about 10 feet eastwards in the early 13th century.

Early in the 14th century four new windows were inserted into the east end of the nave (and by this time, any chancel arch had gone, and the east end walls of the nave cut back. On either side are 2-light windows with trefoiled heads and 'daggered bottomed' quatrefoils over - all under 2 centred arched hoodmoulds (ie just reticulated). The eastern windows in the nave are single-light cinquefoil headed windows which light the E. end of the nave very well. The window on the north is very low, and that on the south has internal shutter hooks at the bottom. Were these windows to light an altar or an early rood screen? There is a corbel (bracket) just west of the S.E. window. In the centre of the S. wall of the nave is a shallow niche under a wide pointed arch. It perhaps blocks an earlier doorway (see scar in render outside), and was perhaps originally for a tomb (Hasted says that there was a flagstone here from which the brass was gone). There was also apparently a 'Decorated' period E. window with a Rose until replaced by the present 3-light E. window in 1897 (?frags. over gateway in churchyard wall west of tower).

In the later part of the 15th century, a massive but small tower, with western angle-buttresses, was added to the west end of the nave after its west wall had been demolished. The tower arch is perhaps earlier. It has a fine 3-light trefoil-headed window over its W. doorway. The top stage of the tower has debased round-headed windows suggesting an early 16th century date. The large Ragstone quoins for the tower are still largely intact - most of the rest of the flint face is covered in render. There is a simple corbelled top. Inside the tower, in the S.W. corner, is a fine 14th century corbelled head.

A pair of two-light perpendicular windows, with square heads (and hoodmould on S.), were added at the west end of the nave on the N. and S. sides, and a fine new doorway with a square head and decorated spandrels inscribed (very worn):

"Pray for the soules of .... Thomas .... and Alys his wyf". This must also be later 15th century (no related will is known), and there is a fine holy water stoup immediately west of the doorway with a square hoodmould. (The porch is 19th century)

The chancel windows and fittings (Sedilia, Piscina and Aumbry) were also renewed in the 15th century. There are single-light windows one either side to the east, and 2-light windows on either side to the west. These have internal side jambs that come down much lower with a bench on the north - that on the south was cut away for the door into the vestry in the later 19th century. The door into the aumbry on the north was acquired, and put in, in 1928, by the Rector.

The nave and chancel both have fine surviving (c. 15th century) crown-post roofs that butt each other. The carved angel truss at the E. end of the chancel was inserted in 1873 when the lath and plaster ceilings were removed by William White.

There is a fine early 17th century pulpit at the S.E. corner of the nave.

Many alterations and repairs were carried out in the 19th century. In 1846, after repair and redecoration, a new floor was laid and new pews were put in. At the same time the W. gallery and chancel screen were removed.

In 1973, as mentioned above, the ceilings were removed, then in the 1880s more repairs were undertaken (another reflooring and reseating in 1886, with new choir stalls by Norman Shaw). The floor tiles in the chancel, also by Norman Shaw, were put in at the same time (see Newman B.O.E. (N.E.+E. Kent), 367).

Finally the east window was renewed in 1897 and the gable top was rebuilt and heightened with a coping. (8)

Description from record TR 15 SE 288:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
1. 5273 KINGSTON CHURCH LANE (west side)
Church of St Giles TR 1951 23/353 30.1.67
I GV
2. Chancel, nave, north porch and west tower. The walls of the chancel and nave are C12 or possibly Saxon, but the church was largely rebuilt in the C14. The tower is C15 and the north porch C19. King-post roof. Knapped flint and roughcast with tile roof. Replaced Norman font. C17 pulpit. An almost complete set of armour with tabard. Listing NGR: TR1981051262 (9)

Historic England archive material: AL2400/085/03 View of St Giles' Church, Kingston, from the north-west

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

<2> MHLG (1953/11/A Dec 1960) 42 (OS Card Reference). SKE46950.

<3> F1 19-JAN-65 (OS Card Reference). SKE41736.

<4> DOE(HHR) Dist of City of Canterbury Kent Mar 1980 133 (OS Card Reference). SKE40904.

<5> BOE NE and E Kent 1983 367-368 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38240.

<6> Arch Cant 59 1947 1-2 (FC Elliston - Erwood) (OS Card Reference). SKE35304.

<7> Field report for monument TR 15 SE 13 - January, 1965 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5481.

<8> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1991, Church Survey - Church of St Giles, Kingston (Unpublished document). SKE7615.

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

Sources and further reading