Upper Church of St Peter

Details

TQ 62 40 PEMBURY HASTINGS ROAD

13/362 Upper Church of St Peter 20.10.54

GV II*

Parish church, former Chapel of Ease. 1846-7 on ground provided by the Marquess Camden, designed by Stephens of Tunbridge Wells; E.W. Stephens according to Newman, N.E. Stephens according to the Church Guide (see sources below). The steeple was strengthened in 1886 but was removed in 1984, north aisle extended in 1894. Coursed local sandstone ashlar, slate roof.

Plan: Nave and chancel with north and south aisles (the north aisle extended to full length). Tower at the west end of the south aisle. North porch. Vestry with cellar under on south side of the chancel. Essentially a single phase building in a Perpendicular Gothic style.

Exterior: Tower of 3 stages with set back buttresses, embattled parapet over a moulded cornice with carved gargoyle water spouts. Belfry has pairs of tall lancets with tracery. Small trefoil headed lancets to the ringing floor. 2- light windows with Perpendicular tracery and hoodmoulds in the lower stage like those around the rest of the church. Tower west doorway is a 2-centred arch with moulded surround and hoodmould rising from a continuous dripcourse round the whole church. South aisle is 3 bays separated by buttresses containing 3-light windows. Moulded cornice above with parapet and clerestorey of nave has 3 2-light windows. East end of nave has kneelers carved with human heads (Victoria and Albert?). East window is 4 lights. north aisle is 6 bays in the same Perpendicular style. Gabled porch right of centre with low diagonal buttresses, 2-centred outer arch with moudled surround and contains good plank door on ornate strap hinges. West end of north aisle has a 2-light window and 5-light window at west end of nave.

Interior: Nave has a 4-bay open hammer beam roof in Perpendicular style. Chancel has a plainer 2-bay roof of arch-braced trusses. The chancel arch, tower arch and arcades are 2-centred arches on diagonally set piers or imposts with engaged shafts on the corner, moulded caps and bases. Small shoulder- headed arch doorway to vestry. Plastered walls. Floor of black and red tiles with sanctuary including encaustic tiles.

Fittings and Furniture: Stone reredos a Perpendicular Gothic blind arcade. Oak altar rail has relatively plain standards and brackets pierced by trefoils. Stone pulpit in same Gothic style. Chancel defined by brass rail on iron standards (maybe put there in the modernisation of 1894). Brass pulpit on wooden base. Perpendicular style stone font, the sides of its octagonal bow carved with quatrefoil panels. Pine stalls and benches.

Memorials: Few and of no more than local interest. East window of C19 stained glass. The stained glass window in south aisle is dated 1902 and small window at west end of north aisle has unusual stained glass signed by Leonard Walker and dated 1938.

Sources Church Guide (1986). J. Newman. West Kent and the Weald, Penguin Buildings of England series (1969), p.451. M. Standen. Pembury in the Past (1984) Photograph reproduced on p.23 shows the church complete with its spire.

Listing NGR: TQ6260840643

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

437880

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Guide to the Upper Church of St Peter Pembury Kent, (1986)
Standen, M, Pembury in the Past, (1984), 23
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1969), 451

End of official list entry

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