Details
TR 0653-0753 CHILHAM
7/13 Church of St. Mary
27.ll.57
GV I
Parish church. C14 transepts, C15 nave, west tower 1534, chancel
of 1863 by David Brandon. Cl9 south porch. Knapped flint.
coursed in chancel, ashlar quoins and dressings throughout.
Tower west wall in alternate blocks of flints and tiles. Plain
tile roof. West tower, nave with aisles, transepts, triple
chancel, south porch. Exterior: 3 stage tower, with 4 stage
offset angle buttresses, weathered plinth and string course to
battlements. South east octagonal and battlemented stair turret.
South aisle with angle buttresses, rendered plinth and string-
course to battlements. Clerestorey to nave. Two storey south
porch, circular stair turret in west angle with aisle. South
transept with angle buttresss, no plinth, exposed wall plate on
corbels to west wall. Triple chancel of 3 gables, coursed flint
on flint and ashlar plinth with angle buttresses. North transept
knapped coursed flint with angle buttresses of 1863? Chimney
stack in west angle with north aisle. Aisle with angle buttress
and 2 intermediate buttresses, and string course to battlements.
Clerestory to nave. West window C19 3 light Perp. style, with single
light and label over. South tower wall has large wooden clock face
north wall with Perp 2 light belfry opening. South-west and
north west windows both C15 Perp. two-light with 4 lights over
and drip mould. South aisle windows C19 copies of the Perp.
south-west window, either side of south porch. Porch C19 Perp.
style single lights west and east, and 2 light and label to
south wall over door. South transept. West window C14 2-light with
spherical triangle in apex, south window C14 3-light y-traceried,
east window 3 light, C16? Canted four-centred arch with drip
mould, no tracery. Chancel south wall with two C19 geometric style
2 light and trefoiled windows, drip moulds with ball-flower stops.
Three C19 curvilinear style east windows, 2 of 3 light,
with ball-flower stops to drip moulds. Centre of 5 lights
and rose, with crowned heads for stops. North chancel wall
identical to south -wall. North transept with C19 dec. style
2 light east window, C19 cusped 'y'-traceried 31ight north window,
and C14 west window, of two lights with hollow-sided hexagon at
head. North aisle with 3 C15 Perp. 2 light and 3 lights over,
in segmental arches, with drip moulds over. 3 Clerestory windows to
north and south, all C15 Perp. 2 lights. Panelled plank and
stud west door in moulded arch with square head, shields in spandrels,
moulded jambs, with coved cornice to label. South door C19
plank door in C15 archway, double hollow chamfer and roll moulding
in square-headed frame with quatrefoils in spandrels. North and
south chancel walls with identical C19 doors to west, in moulded
surrounds with drip moulds, and inscriptions over; south "They that
wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength"; north "Thou Lord
hast never failed them that seek thee". Interior: heavily
chamfered tower arch on half-octagonal piers. 4 bay C15 nave, arcade
of octagonal piers, moulded bases and caps, double hollow chamfered
arches. Clerestory of 4 windows over, the most easterley to north
and south blocked and facing into the transepts. King post roof,
with moulded tenoned purlins, ridge plate and tie beams.
Corbels carved as angels, kings and beasts support roof posts.
Aisles with moulded beams to flat ceiled roofs, and double hollow
chamfered arches to transepts. Moulded 4 centred reveals to win-
dows and south door. Eastern bay of nave arcade leads directly
into transepts. South transept with crown post roof, C19 arch to
south east chancel, blocked opening to roof loft - stair. North
transept with C19 braced truss roof, 4 centred C19 arch through
to north-east chancel. C19 4 centred central chancel arch. Chancel
with 3 bay north arcade, octagonal responds, round piers, double
chamfered arches, with similar arcade constricted to allow
for rood-loft stair. All with scissor-trussed roofs. Fittings:
ogee headed piscina in south transept, obscured by organ.
Monuments: the chief interest of the church. South-west corner,
to the Dick family 1837, signed Beele and Sons, London, but
attributed John Brine and Sons (B.O.E. - Kent II, 273). Free-
standing altar and tryptich, female figures in pinnacled niches
left and right. Cast iron traceried railings with crocketed
principles. On south wall, to Frederick Lacy Dick, assasinated
1847, by E. Gaffin, Regent St., white marble slab on scalloped
scrolls, surmounted by pensive mourning figure and sarcophagus.
Further east,to William Denne d. 1778 and family 1783-1806,
white oval plaque on brackets with coat of arms over. On south
transept east wall, Sir Thomas Mantel, d. 1831. Richard Westmacott.
R.A. London. Mourning woman and urn, pediment over, plain base with
two small scallops. South chancel: on south wall, to unnamed member
of Fogge family 1626. Bethersden marble. Verses on arched
plaque on scrolled brackets, with corinthian capitals carrying
frieze, with scrolled medallion and obelisk over. All covered
with damasque work. Free standing monument to Mary Kemp, Lady
Digges, d. 1631; Nicholas Stone,11 foot (black) marble column
with urn, on plinth, with 4 seated female figures on pedestals
at each corner - representing Justice, Prudence, Temperance and
Fortitude. Panels on pedestals and central plinth with texts,
east to Lady Digges, north to Rachel (Genesis XXXV), south to the
Digges lineage, west to Dudley Digges, builder of Chilham
Castle. North chancel, to James Wildman, d. 1816, "the famous
wildman monument by Chantrey" (Kelly's Directory, 1927). Free
standing. Scrolled sarcophagus, inscription partially obscured
by drapery of mourning woman left, daughter weeping in her lap,
son sat on step to right below sarcophagus. Also in north chancel
a purbeck marble sarcophagus originally in tombs below north transept.
Incised with much mutilated floriate cross. Free standing monument
to Arthur and Edmund Hardy d. 1853; Alexander Munro. White
marble on red marble plinth 2 boys reading "Illustrated Babes in
the Wood", with childrens' toys around them. North transept: Thomas
Pettitt d. 1625. Wall plague, black marble, white base. 2
columns support entablature, with plinth. North-west corner, Lady
Margaret Palmer, d. 1619, sister to Dudley Digges. Bethersden
Marble Free standing tomb-chest, with 2 coloured marble panels,
4 corinthian columns carry entablature, with 4 corner obelisks,
with central obelisque on enscrolled medallion. All enriched with
damasque work, generally similar to 'Foggys' monument in south-east
chancel. Glass: Mid C15 glass in north aisle window of figures and
heraldry. In north and south transepts and chancels, memorial
windows of Hardy family to fallen of World War I, by W.T. Tower
Coats of Arms: dated 1712 over south door with pediment and scrolls,
and C18 lozenge on tower south wall. See B.O.E. Kent II. 1983,
pp 271-3.
Listing NGR: TR0688553656
