Church of St. Thomas a Becket and mounting block attached

Church of St. Thomas a Becket, Fairfield

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Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: I
List Entry Number:: 1277450
Date first listed:: 09-Jun-1959
List Entry Name:: Church of St. Thomas a Becket and mounting block attached
Statutory Address:: Church of St. Thomas a Becket, Fairfield

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Date:: 2005-12-11
Reference:: IOE01/13597/02
Rights:: © Mr Derrick Chiverrell. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: I
List Entry Number:: 1277450
Date first listed:: 09-Jun-1959
List Entry Name:: Church of St. Thomas a Becket and mounting block attached
Statutory Address 1:: Church of St. Thomas a Becket, Fairfield

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

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

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. Thomas a Becket, Fairfield

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

County:: Kent
District:: Folkestone and Hythe (District Authority)
Parish:: Snargate
National Grid Reference:: TQ 96671 26490

Details

TQ 967 265 5/118

SNARGATE FAIRFIELD Church of St. Thomas a Becket and mounting block attached

9.6.59

I Parish church C15, possibly on earlier foundations with C18 fittings. Reconstructed, and most of timbers renewed, in 1912-13 by W.D Caröe. Timber framed, clad 1912-13 in chequered red and grey brick with thin tiles to corbels (possibly replacing C18 brick-work). West gable end plain brownish-red brick. Wood shingled bell turret. East end of nave tile-hung above chancel, east end of chancel weatherboarded above wall-plate. Plain tile roofs.

Nave, incorporating west bell turret; south porch; small low chancel. Bell turret has pyramidal roof. Nave and chancel roofs gabled, chancel with decorative, possibly medieval, barge-boards. Leaded rectangular casement windows throughout church, except chancel east window which contains small quantity of stained glass; all 1912-13. Boarded outer and inner doors to porch, the former with thin tiles to head of architrave. Chequered red and grey brick mounting block to west end, probably 1912-13.

Interior: nave and chancel separately framed, with evidence for virtually closed close-studded partitions to west truss of chancel and to east truss of nave. Chancel of two timber framed bays, nave of two and half, with gunstock-jowled principal posts and some evidence for arch braces to wall-plates; walls otherwise rendered. Cambered arch-braced tie-beams, (those to chancel about seven feet from ground), braces chamfered, with solid spandrels and continued with chamfered fillets. Similar moulded octagonal crown-posts to central trusses of nave and chancel. Half bay to west end of nave, beneath bell turret, enclosed to north and south with close-studded partitions, each with door to east, leaving central area open to west gable end to contain font. On circular stone base with heptagonal plinth and base.

Fittings: Heptagonal ragstone font on circular stone base with heptagonal plinth and base; possibly C15, or possibly 1660s (J. Newman,1980). Altar rails: early C18 balusters with plain handrail; Laudian plan. Text boards to east end bearing Lord's Prayer, Creed and Decalogue. C18 box pews to nave and south side of chancel, with fielded panels except last pew to west on each side which are plainer. C18 three-decker pulpit, said to be the only one surviving in Kent. Nine oval text boards to nave, one dedicatory dated 1804.

The church is in an isolated position in the marshes and has no churchyard. Reference to a timber-framed church on the site, in poor condition, 1294 (E. Woodruff, 1917). Referred to by Hasted as built of brick and seeming to be "but of very modern date..." (Hasted). Photographs in west end of church showing work in progress 1912-13.

Listing NGR: TQ9720525992

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:: 406840
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Hasted, E, History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent, (1801)
Newman, J, The Buildings of England: West Kent and the Weald, (1980)
Woodruff, E, 'Some Early Visitation Rolls' in Archaeologia Cantiana, , Vol. 32, (1917), .

Legal

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