Old Church of St Peter

Details

TQ 64 SW PEMBURY OLD CHURCH ROAD

5/394 Old Church of St Peter 20.10.54 GV I

Parish church. Norman nave and chancel, C14 tower, porch and nave roof, chancel much rebuilt in 1867 by R. Wheeler of Brenchley. Nave and older masonry of the chancel of sandstone rubble with ashlar quoins, rest is coursed sandstone ashlar. Red tile roof and tower spire is shingled.

Plan: Nave with south porch. lower chancel with C19 lean-to vestry on the north side. West tower.

Exterior: Relatively short single stage west tower with large diagonal buttresses. Low spire surmounted by an old, possibly C18, weathercock. Quatrefoil lights to the belfry. West doorway has a 2-centred arch with moulded jambs and hoodmould. Above a 3-light window of ogee-arch headed lancets.

On the south side of the nave gabled porch to left. 2-centred outer arch with double-chamfered arch ring and hoodmould. Triple lancet above and slit windows in the side walls. C19 tile floor but roof of old collared common rafter couples. South doorway is probably Norman, a plain round-headed arch containing a C19 panelled door. To right the porch covers the lower part of a Norman round-headed lancet. To right a restored quare-headed 3-light window with Perpendicular tracery and a hoodmould. South side of chancel is 2 bays, left one with 2 cinquefoil-headed lancets and the right one has a 2-light window containing Y-tracery which once descended further down but the lower part is cut by a small C19 arch-headed priests door. Buttresses on south side and east end have diagonal buttresses, most enriched with carved armorial bearings, some are replacements of the C14 originals. Arms of Hardreshull and Colepeper families. East window C19 3-light window with decorated tracery and hoodmould. North side of chancel has a similar 2-light window and a triple lancet window. North side of the nave has a 3-light Perpendicular window similar to that on the south side and the west bay has 2 tall lancets.

Interior: The glory of the church is the splendid C14 roof over the nave. 3 bays. Moulded tie-beams and arch braces with spandrels carved with open trefoils and quatrefoils. Tall crown posts and collared common rafters with soulaces. Chancel roof is C19; 4 bays of a boarded 6-sided arch with chamfered ribs and purlins. Similar chancel and tower arches, probably C14 with chamfered double arch ring on moulded imposts. Plastered walls C19 tile floor, mostly red and black tiles but encaustic tiles included in chancel. Also in chancel 2 good graveslabs, one in memory of William Amhurst (d. 1663) the other in memory of Richard Amhurst (d. 1664). C19 sedilia.

Furniture and Fittings: Main centre part of the C19 reredos has been removed but flanking end parts remain combining symbols of the Evangelists. C19 brass altar rail with tubular standards and leafy brackets. C19 plain pine stalls. C19 oak drum pulpit on stone base, its sides open with Gothic arcades. Contemporary brass eagle lectern and C19 plain pine benches. C19 stone font in Perpendicular style.

Memorials: Oldest is a brass plaque in the north wall in memory of 7-year old Elizabeth Rowe (d. 1607). A number of memorials have been reset in the tower; best are those in memory of John Whitaker (d. 1802), Lord Spencer Churchill (d. 1746) and Henry Woodgate (d. 1818). In nave large Gothic style monument to Lydia Shaw-Woodgate (d. 1909) carved with praying angels.

Source John Newman. West Kent and the Weald, Penguin Buildings of England series (1969), pp.450-1.

Listing NGR: TQ6268442960

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

437937

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1969), 450-1

End of official list entry

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