Church of St Mary the Virgin

CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, THURNHAM LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1086165
Date first listed:
26-Apr-1968
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary the Virgin
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, THURNHAM LANE
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Date:
2002-07-17
Reference:
IOE01/07495/11
Rights:
© Mr Peter D. Royall. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1086165
Date first listed:
26-Apr-1968
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary the Virgin
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, THURNHAM LANE

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN, THURNHAM LANE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:
Kent
District:
Maidstone (District Authority)
Parish:
Thurnham
National Grid Reference:
TQ 80409 57642

Details

TQ 85 NW THURNHAM THURNHAM LANE (west side)

6/205 Church of St. Mary the 26.4.68 Virgin

GV I

Parish church. C12 to early C17. North chapel of galleted stone, porches of small uneven blocks of stone, rest random flint and stone. Plain tile roofs. West tower, continuous nave and chancel with opposed north and south porches at west end.Rectangular north chapel towards east end of nave. Battlemented C14 tower of 2 stages, upper stage possibly rebuilt, with angle buttresses. Cusped single-light belfry openings, small Decorated west window and small west door with 2-centred arched head, lightly-moulded jambs and hood-mould. South porch: early C15, on plinth. Earlier inner door with 2-centred arched head and moulded jambs. South wall of nave and chancel contains 2 restored early Perpendicular windows with hood-moulds towards west end, one restored lancet and one cusped 2-light window with no central light, set in architrave with angled head. Slight trace of straight-joint immediately east of lancet; section to west C12 or C13, section to east C14. East end has clasping buttresses and large restored decorated east window under hood- moulds stopped with carved heads. North chapel: circa 1603. Rectangular on high stone plinth with small hipped roof behind battlemented parapet. East wall has large rectangular window of 4 plain round-headed lights under hood-mould. Smaller 3- light window in same style in north wall, with restored blocked 3-centred arched doorway with rectangular hood-mould to west. Small projecting stone stack at junction of west wall and nave. North wall of nave has single restored early Perpendicular window. North porch: similar to south porch, but with original roof. Interior: Blocked round-headed Norman window in west end of north wall. C14 tower arch. Single C15 round-headed arch to north chapel, withmoulded capitals to piers, 3 possibly C14 crown- post trusses to nave with moulded tie-beams and crown-posts Chancel roof with collar purlin but no crown-posts. Chapel roof early C17 with moulded beam and joists. 2 very small stone fragments in south wall of chancel, one containing top of a small decorative shaft. Moulded corbels in north and south walls, possibly for rood loft.Aumbry. Piscina with shaped stone basin. 2-centred arched sedile with filletted roll-moulding. Elaborately carved reredos in memory of Mrs. Julia Jane Hampson, d. 1904. wife of the Rev. William Seymour Hampson, made in Oberammergau. Late C18 or early C19 pews. Octagonal font, possibly C14, decorated with 8 different emblems. Monuments: 2 small brasses in Chapel floor; one to William Covert, one to Lady Barbara Cutt, d. 1618, who founded the chapel in honour of Sir Henry Cutt, knight, her first husband. On west wall of chapel, momument with open pediment and fluted pilasters with shield to base, to memory of Richard Sheldon Esq., d. 1736. Monument on south wall of chancel in form of parchment hung with drapes and surmounted by shield and gadrooned vase to memory of Mariae Dering, d. 1725. On north wall of chancel, monument with broken pediment containing plain urn, to memory of Thomas Wise, d. 1790 and other members of the family. Similar monument adjacent,to Thomas Burwash, d. 1791, and members of Wise family.

Listing NGR: TQ8023257319

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
173712
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Mary the Virgin

Map

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End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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