Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade I listed building. Main construction periods 1180 to 1920. Built in the 13th century, probably on the site of a church recorded in the Domesday book. From 1282-1547 it was part of St Mary's College of Secular Priests. The chancel is 13th century, the West tower 14th century, the nave and South aisles 16th century. It also has transeptal chapels and a South porch. Wingham was one of the early minsters founded in Kent before 700. The Domesday Monachorum records that Wingham had 6 dependent churches.

Monument Types

• MINSTER (Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 450 AD? to 700 AD?)
• CHURCH (Medieval to Modern - 1180 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 25 NW 16:
[TR 2420 5747] St. Mary's Church [NAT] (1) The Church of St. Mary, Wingham, is 13th c. and later. Grade A. (2) A Church at Wingham is recorded in Domesday. The church of St. Mary was altered in 1282 by Archbishop Peckham into a collegiate church for a Provost and Six Secular Canons. (For College, see TR 25 NW 15) Additions and alterations were made in the 14th and 16th c. In normal use. (3) Additional bibliography. (4-10) Listed grade I. [Full architectural description]. (11) Additional bibliograpy. (12-14)
In the late Anglo-Saxon period, as Domesday Monachorum tells us, Wingham was a major 'minster' church with various chapels pertaining to it. After the Norman Conquest, it was perhaps rebuilt as a cruciform church, but the earliest visible above-ground remains are the west walls of the north and south transepts, which contain arches of the very late 12th century that once ran into the nave aisles. Reused materials at the N. end of the church, however, suggest some early 12th cent. work eg. The chip-carved block at the S.W. quoin. The form of the later transepts, east of these walls, does however suggest an earlier cruciform building with an aisled nave before c. 1200.

In 1282 a new college was founded at Wingham by Archbishop Peckham, and the first provost of the new foundation was appointed in 1287. As a result of this the whole of the eastern arm of the church was rebuilt with a large chancel and a flanking transept chapel on either side. This new work of the late 13th century is characterised by a continuous external roll moulded string-course, which can also be seen in the north wall of the north transept. There is also an internal Purbeck marble string course at a similar height (under the windows) all around the inside of the chancel. The window tracery in the chancel and east side of the south transept also suggest a late 13th century date. The small projecting altar bay in the south transept is similar to those in the nearby contemporary churches of Adisham and Ickham. The asymmetric arrangement of windows in the chancel may also suggest that there was already a north-east chapel. All other evidence for this, however, was removed when the two-story 15th century (? Vestry) addition was made here. The chancel also contains a fine sedilia on the south side, as well as a contemporary piscina and aumbry in the east wall.

The five easternmost stall seats on either side (with carved miserecords) must also date from soon after the completion of the new chancel for the canons.

The fine west tower to the church was also probably built in the later 13th century, though the tower arch into the nave may be a little later. In the first stage of the tower (where the clock mechanism is now situated), are the remains of the 13th century lancets and the rubble masonry contains quite a lot of reused (c. 12th century) material. There is a Hythe stone plinth and large Hythe stone side alternate quoins in the buttresses. The top stage of the tower (belfry) contains pairs of windows with trefoiled heads of a late 13th century date. Internally these windows have had their heads rebuilt fairly recently in buff stock-bricks.

The fine spire on top is fully described in Arch. Cant. 108 (1990), 277-80. It perhaps dates from the 14th century and was similar to the (now-destroyed) spire at Minster-in-Thanet. Until 1793 it was covered in lead. This was then replaced with copper, which has recently (1990) been renewed again.

The south door and porch may also be late 13th or early 14th century in date. It was originally a two-storied structure, but the tie-beams of the first floor have been removed (perhaps in the 16th century).

As already mentioned the structure on the east side of the north transept was originally a two-storied building (? Vestry) of the 15th century. It has one diagonal buttress, and parts of the original windows can be seen in the north and east walls where they are bricked up. At ground floor level they were simple pairs of rectangular windows, while at first floor level they had pairs of Perpendicular windows. The earlier N. windows can be seen below and east of the 18th century 'Venetian' window. There was also a small rectangular window on the south side (with wide internal splays) looking into the chancel.

From the evidence of wills, a major rebuilding of the nave, without a north aisle, was going on from at least 1493. This was being done with reused materials and high quality knapped flintwork and clearly took a long time. At the west end of the north wall, there are two square-headed 3-light windows which were perhaps the last to be put in (There is a diagonal bonding break just below the eastern window here). The work was almost certainly unfinished at the Reformation, when we have the now well-known documentary evidence for the building funds being embezzled. As a result, a timber arcade seems to have been built (the upper north and south walls contain reused drums from a stone arcade - perhaps prepared, but not used) in the 1550s. The two roofs over the nave and south aisle are of late crown-post type, and the west gable to the south aisle is made of 16th century brickwork (with a tumbled-in-slope). The timber posts were plastered and given early renaissance arches and capitals but these were destroyed in 1873.

From the early 17th century, the disused north and south transept chapels were taken over by the Palmer and Oxenden families as burial places ( and family pews). They still contain may fine monuments. The north transept acquired a new roof with hipped ends in the 17th century, and new red brick work was put into the late 12th cent. arch on the west (with an external buttress) when Thomas Palmer's monument was put in 1718. This transept later became a schoolroom, and is now a vestry with the organ at the west end. The new reredos and round window in the east wall of the chancel was also constructed in the early 18th century.


In 1873-5 a major restoration was carried out under Benjamin Ferrey mainly in the chancel. He rebuilt the chancel arch and east window (with Bath stone and Purbeck marble) and also replaced much of the external tracery and quoining. He also removed the late 16th century wood and plaster arches in the nave, leaving plain wooden posts. The upper part of the contemporary chancel screen was also removed as well as the pulpit and sounding board and the box pews.

In 1990, a new room was made under the tower, and the chancel was stripped of most of its c. 1875 fittings. The base of the Rood screen was removed and put against the chancel walls. (15)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
TR 2457 WINGHAM CATERBURY ROAD (north side)
9/327 Church of St.Mary 11.10.63 GV I
Parish church. Circa 1200, C13 chancel, C14 tower and C16 nave and aisle. Restored 1874-5, Ferrey, particularly the chancel. Flint in part knapped and coursed with rubble stone and brick repairs and additions. Plain tiled roof. Chancel, transept chapels, nave and south aisle, western tower and south porch. West tower with north-west stair turret and tall angle buttresses offset 4 times, battlements and recessed spire. Two light Decorated belfry windows and moulded west doorway and clockface on south front. South aisle with brick upper stage, large stone blocks below the eaves set in knapped flint wall with 4 re-used C15 windows. Two storey battlemented porch with double hollow chamfered inner and outer doorways. Nave north wall with 4 buttresses and similar knapped flint and re-used C15 fenestration. North and south transepts with window heads infilled with red brick, the north transept retaining C18 wooden Venetian window and large 4 light leaded window. East window of south transept in shallow projection with 3 lights with 3 circles in head enclosing 3 trefoils linked by intersecting tracery, c.1280. Chancel restored C19, new fenestration. blocked double arches in north arcade to lost aisle. Interior; tall double chamfered tower arch on octagonal responds with stylised flower ornament. Nave with 5 bay arcade of chestnut and 1 oak pier, formerly imitating stone pillars but exposed since 1874, and new arch braced to wall plate.Nave roof of 4 crown posts, aisle roof of 6 crown posts. C19 chancel arch. Originally identical arches from chancel to transepts with hollow and roll moulded and chamfered arch and attached shafts. Reveal of south transept east widow with attached marble shafts. Chancel with string course and drip moulds with heads and naturalistic leaf decoration. Fittings; reredos, C15 stone and rare in England , from Troyes. Five scenes of the Passion above and the Last Supper and the Adoration below. Sedilia in chancel with 3 round headed seats and marble colonnettes. Trecusped piscina on eastern wall. Misericord stalls, 3 to south and 4 to north with C19 replacements. C14 showing animals and human faces, Green Man and foliation. Rood Screen, the base only, C15 with 8 ogee traceried panels. Square headed piscina in south aisle and chamfered elliptical wall recess said to be for tomb of a member of the Warham family. Another piscina is now on the outside of the north transept, originally in north aisle. Early C14 stained glass in chancel south window. West window of 1920, a memorial to the last member of the Oxenden family. Monuments;in the nave; Thomas Cinder,d.1716, large grey marble wall tablet with Death's head and Corinthian pilasters with enriched scrolls and open segmental pediment. In the north chapel; Sir Thomas Palmer,d.1625, by Nicholas Stone. Standing black and white wall monument. Full length figures of Sir Thomas and Lady Margaret on tomb chest, with Corinthian columns carrying segmental pediment with a smaller pediment thrusting through it and reclining putti with arcaded background and bracket to entablature. Sir Thomas Palmer,d.1656, erected 1718.Black and white standing wall monument with plinth, Corinthian columns to segmental pediment with putti and portrait bust at top. Streynsham Master,d.1724. White marble double wall plaque, only 1 half inscribed, with winged Death's head at base and tripled Corinthian pilasters supporting tripled broken segmental pediment with cartouche and martial achievements with urn over. In the south (Oxenden) chapel; Charles Tripp,d.1624. Black pedimented wall plaque with side pieces containing 2 angels in oval wreathed recesses, the whole decorated with cherubs heads on wings. The Oxenden Monument, 1682, suggested as by Arnold Quellin. Free standing black and white marble monument with large white marble base inscribed and supported at the corners by black scrolls topped by ox heads, with drapes between them. Tall obelisk with fruit and flower garlands carved all down the sides and topped with a vase. Four putti at the corners, 2 leaning on shields,1 draped, with a skull,a fourth holding a helmet. The chapel was paved and given wrought iron screens at the same time (1681, bequest of Sir George Qxenden), with simple uprights in 4 panels to north with 3 raised sections with ball finials and central cross, the iron work leafed and bifurcated, with double leaf gate and overthrow to south and single leaf gate to old rood stair door. Altogether a major work, certainly in Kent. The church was from 1282 to 1547 a collegiate church attached to Wingham College (which provided in its time 4 Archbishops and 3 bishops). (see A.Hussey, Chronicles of Wingham; see also B.O.E. Kent II, 1983 499-500)
Listing NGR: TR2421257475 (16)

<1> OS 6" 1960 (OS Card Reference). SKE48367.

<2> MHLG (2067/11/A Sep 1960) 54 (OS Card Reference). SKE46991.

<3> Hist of Kent 9,1800 201-2 (E Hasted) (OS Card Reference). SKE44006.

<4> Church Notices St Mary's Church Wingham (OS Card Reference). SKE38965.

<5> F1 ASP 20.07.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42199.

<6> Trans Leics Arch Soc 35 1959 49 (J Simmons) (OS Card Reference). SKE50655.

<7> Arch Cant 73 1959 liv-lv (WPD Stebbing) (OS Card Reference). SKE35543.

<8> Arch Cant 40 1928 131-140 (A Hussey and AH Taylor) (OS Card Reference). SKE35085.

<9> Arch J 86 1929 286-8 (OS Card Reference). SKE36710.

<10> Country Life 113 1953 32 (OS Card Reference). SKE39385.

<11> The Buildings of England North East and East Kent 498-500 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE50214.

<12> Arch Cant 93 1977 66-67 (EW Parkin) (OS Card Reference). SKE36159.

<13> Field report for monument TR 25 NW 16 - July, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5738.

<14> DOE (HHR) Dover 26 Nov 1987 (122) (OS Card Reference). SKE40555.

<15> Diocese of Canterbury (Tim Tatton-Brown), 1988, 89, 93, Church Survey - St Mary's Church, Wingham. (Unpublished document). SKE7586.

<16> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading