Details
TR 05 SE GODMERSHAM CANTERBURY ROAD
(east side)
4/40 Church of St. Lawrence
27.ll.57
GV I
Parish church. C11 tower, C12 nave and chancel, chancel extended
C13. Some C14 and C15 windows and fittings, south transept,
south aisle, south porch and general restoration by William
Butterfield, 1864-6. Flint and rubble, part plastered, with
ashlar and rough dressed quoins and dressings, and plain tile
roofs. Nave, south aisle and transept, chancel, north tower
and south porch. West front: nave and south aisle, south aisle
with coursed flint and ashlar quoins and bands. Gabled roof with
C19 wrought iron gable cross. West door blocked, arch of single
order with dogtooth ornament, tympanum of (re-used?) diapered
and dog-toothed blocks. West window C19 curvilinear style with
drip mould, south west window C19 paired lancets. South porch:
1 storey, timber framed on flint plinth. The gable end is open
to expose the framing, with wrought iron gable cross. Inside a
C19 doubel plank door with large iron hinges. South aisle: with
2 ashlar bands and 3 lancet windows. South transept: single
ashlar band, ashlar quoins, 2 offset buttresses, with triple
lancet south window, and single lancet on east wall. South east
chapel (the organ chamber): ashlared quoins, and covered by
catslide extension from chancel roof, with paired lancet window,
and trefoiled wall niche, to Mary Agues Bolton, d. 1928. Chancel:
south wall with exposed quoins of Normal chancel half way along
its length, 2 C19 lancet windows, and 2 trefoiled wall niches, to
children of Alfred and Mary Lyall, d. 1844, and Lucy Verena
Holland, d. 1866. East wall part rendered in plaster painted as
flint, with 2 dragonal offset buttresses in brick and flint,
and C13 triple lancet east window. Between and forward of the 2
buttresses is a mid C19 cast iron railing on stone plinth, encircling
an unmarked horizontal grave slab. North wall, with exposed
quoins of Normal nave, single lancet to east. C14. Decorated
window of 2 lights with sexfoil in head to west, and central
blocked C15 doorway, 4 centred arch, double hollow chamfer and
drip mould. Trefoiled niche on north-east buttress to Sackree.
Tower: 3 stage tower of flint with rough-dressed quoins and eastern
semi-circular apse with tiled roof and 2 C19 windows to east, with
single light in tower second stage, and large belfry opening over.
North wall with single lights to first and second stages and large
belfry opening, and C19 board door in original semi-circular
arched opening. West wall with single light to each stage, and
projecting chimney/garderobe corbelled out to right. Nave north wall:
to east. C15. 3 light window hollow chamfered surround and 4 centred
drip mould. West, a single round-headed window, C19. Interior:
4 bay nave with C19 arcade to south aisle and south transept, 3
square-section piers and one round pier with plain chamfered arches.
Roof of plastered barrel-trusses and 3 crown posts, the trusses
higher and exposed to the east, to accentuate transept/crossing.
The tower intrudes in the east end of the nave with a hollow
chamfered doorway and plank door to the tower, and blocked
doorway to rood loft. South aisle has masonry screen to
transepts with 2 lancets and trefoil over, and square-headed
and shouldered arch to nave pier. South transept with barrel truss
roof, and chamfered arch through to south east chapel (nor organ
room). Chancel,with hollow chamfered reveal to mullion and
transomed 4 light and traceried C15 Perpendicular opening to
south-east organ room. Attached shafts in chamfered surround
of easter triple lancet window. Barrel-truss roof, plastered, with
exposed lattice-framing at east end. Fittings: in chancel,
cusped piscina and trefoiled sedile. Vestigial remains of C19
reredos on chancel east wall. Full height wood chancel screen,
by Butterfield, 3 open bays. Solid, spandrel painted with
crucifixion, with 2 central gates with open wrought iron tracery.
Octagonal font also by Butterfield date.C12 stone relief of
Archbishop Becket on chancel south wall, under canopy with
colonettes. Monuments: south aisle. Thomas Knight, d. 1794
signed Shout, Holborn, London,wall plaque. A broken Ionic
pillar on plinth over sarcophagus with claw feet, and west of
this another by Shout to Harriet Knatchbull d. 1791, a white
tablet wall plaque with pillars. Over this a foliated and
scrolled cartouche wall plaque to Thomas Carter d. 1707, with cherubs
either side and blowing trumpets over. On the north wall a similar
draped cartouche with garlands of fruit and flowers and
cherubs supporting a shield, to John Christmas, d. 1712. West of
it a wall plaque to Edward Knight d. 1852. Jane Austen's
brother, by S. Manning. Angled sarcophagus, draped, with obelisk
over. To east, a black plaque in white marble surround,
chamfered and lugged, with scrolled pediment and achievement
over, to Richard Munn, M.A. Vicar of Godmersham, d. 1682. Glass
in south west and east window, by Gibbs, 1866-7, those to west
in memory of Edward Knight and wife Elizabeth.
Listing NGR: TR0665250705
