Detached Belfry Circa 1 Yard North Of Church Of St Augustine

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

TQ 92 NE BROOKLAND HIGH STREET (south-east side)

5/36 Detached Belfry circa 1 yard north of Church 9.6.59 of St. Augustine

GV I

Detached belfry. Late C12 or C13, altered in mid C15, late C16 and 1685, and strengthened in second quarter C20 and 1973. Timber-framed, clad with wood shingles. Late C12 or C13 square open tower enclosed in mid C15 by octagonal structure with vertical base surmounted by 3 diminishing stages, base of each overhanging top of one below. Dragon weathervane dated 1797.

Ribbed door to west. Interior: 4 huge canted tapering posts set at corners of square frame or cill and formerly bearing large bell platform. Strength- ened with lattice bracing; braces halved over each other and jointed to posts with open notched-lap joints. Posts truncated in mid C15 by about 5' and surrounded by octagonal frame with open arcaded base and tapering roof. 2 further octagonal frames erected above original tower to give total of 3 stages. New bell-frame constructed above, and floor inserted within, original tower, supported on four canted posts set inside of C12/C13 posts. Further bell-frame inserted in late C16 between floor and C15 bell-frame and enlarged 1685. Tower strengthened by cross-braces.

Oak shingles applied 1936 and belfry strengthened. Further bracing 1973.

A rare survival. Interior only partly inspected. (K.W.E. Gravett, "Brookland Belfry", Archaeologia Cantiana Vol.LXXXIX, 1974. Anne Roper, The Church of St Augustine, Brookland, 1982 edition).

Listing NGR: TQ9896825825

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/1436 IOE Records taken by Vernon Mount; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr Vernon Mount. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project