Details
GOUDHURST CHURCH ROAD
TQ 7237-7337
(south side)
15/118 Church of St Mary
20.6.67
GV I
Parish church. C13 to C15, tower rebuilt 1638-40. Restored 1865-70 to designs of
Slater and Carpenter; Ewan Christian executant architect. Sandstone with plain
tiled roof. Chancel with north and south chapels, nave with aisles, west tower
with south west vestry/sacristy. West tower built 1638-40 (the old one destroyed
by lightning 1637) for £750 by London builders, Edmund Kinsman, James Holman, John
Young. Two stages on plinth with Classical mouldings, and with offset clasping
buttresses; that to north east with stair lights and raised to turret. Battle-
mented, with 2-light arched belfry windows in square surrounds and early C20 clock
face. Three-light west window, a copy of those at St Mary Cree, London, cusped
lights, that to centre raised, in moulded squared surround. Classical west door-
way, flanked by niches, with rustic half columns supporting entablature and
segmental pediment, the doorway with arched and keyed surround on moulded
imposts. C19 2-storey vestry with angle vice to south west. South aisle with 5
offset buttresses, with 2 more to separately roofed south east chapel; steeply
pitched gabled roof. Projecting canted bay to easternmost bay of aisle. Nave
roof with roundel to east gable, and stepped down chancel roof, with exposed jambs
on north and south walls of lancets (C19 lancet east window). North aisle and
north east chapel built as one operation, separated by projecting vice, the whole
buttressed and battlemented with 3-light arched Perpendicular style fenestration,
as throughout the church, except chancel, mostly C19 reconstructions based on
original evidence. Hood moulded northern door. Attached to the tower and vestry
is a railed enclosure with spear head rails with urn finialed principals, enclos-
ing 2 iron crosses, with respective footstones, to the Bathurst family. Interior:
chamfered tower arch with octagonal shafts, in chamfered surround. Five-bay
arcades, the easternmost bay widened with complex C15 pier with attached shafts
and moulded, part of alterations to accommodate now lost rood screen. Alternate
round and octagonal piers to south, all C14, western bays of north aisle with
round piers C13, with C14 pier, octagonal, then C15 east bay. Roof with 2 crown
posts to west end, and C19 reconstructed boarded roof to east. South aisle with
hollow chamfered doorways and bay recess to east (for Culpepper tomb). Roof with
arched trusses on brackets with iron tier and traces of original C14 painted
decoration. North aisle with C19 cross-beamed roof and hollow chamfered north and
stair doorways. Double hollow chamfered arch to south chapels, and to chancel,
and roll moulded arch with attached shafts to north chapel. Chancel with 2-bay
arcades, that to north of a piece with arch to north aisle, that to south earlier,
with octagonal pier and responds and hollow chamfered arches. Exposed jambs of
C13 lancets to north and south, and C15 south window, now infilled. C19 moulded
string course. East window and barred-vaulted wooden ceiling on ancient tie-
beams. South chapel with roll moulded corbel string to stone bracketed arch-
trussed barrel roof, a form of hammer beam structure. Fittings: simple arched
piscina and hollow chamfered aumbrey in chancel and fine C19 altar rail with
iron-twist uprights with tendril brackets. Screen to south chapel with base
incorporating C14 or C15 panelling, the upper section carved as a memorial to
Great War, with vine leaf frieze and ogee headed panels. Screen to north chapel
also incorporates medieval panels. Pulpit with octagonal stone base and steps
with iron and brass rails, the main box C13 in style with full relief apostles and
evangelical symbols, with brass candlesticks and book rest. Erected 1863 as a
memorial to Henry Lake of Goudhurst. Brass 12-stick chandelier presented to the
church in 1722. C19 brass lectern. Font in nave on medieval (C15) base, with C19
bowl with evangelical symbols. Medieval bowl in north aisle with arcading and
crosses (titched at foot). Monuments: in the north chapel: Edmond Roberts,
gent, d.1627, small aedicule with arms and achievement over and Latin inscrip-
tion. Richard Pack, d.1838, a half relief lion-footed sarcophagus tablet, signed
T Denman, Quadrant, Regent, St Edward Lewis Miller, d.1846; severe Stele with
elongated urns, signed T Butler, London (Timothy Butler). In the chancel:
William (d.1615) and Rachel (d.1606) Campion. Large hanging monument of quality,
with coved base bearing aedicule with broken segmental pediment, with enriched
scrolls within pediment, and with allegorised female figures resting on pediment,
the whole flanked by obelisks on pedestals. Within the aedicule William and his
lady kneel oppsoite each other with prayer desk, their 5 sons and 4 daughters
carved on the obelisk pedestals. Enriched throughout with ribband and strapwork
embellishments. In the south chapel: brasses to John Bedgebury, d.1424, 39½
inches high armoured man with canopy. Sir John Culpepper, d.1480, 25½ inches with
canopy on tomb chest. Walter and Agnes Culpepper (d.1462 and 1457), 25 inch
armoured figure and shields, the figure a later addition of c.1520 and unidenti-
fied. 'Young' Sir Alexander Culpepper, d.1599, erected 1608 by his son Sir
Anthony Alabaster standing wall monument, the base with 11 boys and 5 daughters
(grandchildren rather than children), supporting 3 Corinthian columns to cornice,
with central scrolled aedicule over with half figure of Sir Thomas Culpepper, an
old armoured man holding a skull. Within the frame below Sir Alexander kneels to
right with Anthony (his only child) behind, and Lady Mary opposite. Not of the
highest quality in execution. In the south aisle: the important monument to
'Old' Sir Alexander Culpepper, d.1537. Lozenge-panelled chest set within its own
bay widow, with recumbent wooden effigies with coloured gesso details. In the
reveal of one bay are 2 relief panels of God in Majesty, the Virgin and Child and
St George and the Dragon, dated 1537 on prayer desk with Knight, Lady and children
at prayer. Anthony Fowle (of Twyssenden) d.1679, black marble wall tablet with
Latin inscription, with scrolled base and cherub head. Bathurst monuments, plain
white and black tablets, and black marble ledger slab with cartouche on moulded
panelled shafts, to John Bathurst, d.1697 and known as the 'Bread tomb' (because
the 'dole' of bread was laid out on it), and grey marble tablet, to Edward
Bathurst, d.1772, pilastered with damaged open segmental pediment. Also in the
south chapel a large, simple white marble tablet, with aedicule and a half-bust
turned to left of periwinkled William Campoin, d.1702. Attributed stylistically
to William Bird. Rugged benefaction and prayer boards in tower. Fragments of C15
glass in south west window. Lead-panels dated 1811 recording churchwardens. The
church and churchyard were in 1747 the scene of a full-scale battle between the
Goudhurst Militia, led by 'General' George Sturt (a former soldier) and the
Hawkhurst Gang, probably the largest and most infamous C18 smuggling organisation,
led by Thomas Kingswill (whose brother and 2 others of the gang died in the
battle). Sturt ended his days warden of the local poorhouse, Kingsmill in 1749 on
Tyburn Hill (see BOE, Kent I, 1980 297-8; also Church guide, 1974; also Mary
Waugh, Smuggling in Kent and Sussex, 1700-1890, 1985).
Listing NGR: TQ7239437810
