Details
TR 005 277
6/3
9.6.59
BRENZETT
Church of St. Eanswith
GV
II*
Parish church. Late C11 or C12, C13, C14, C16 and C18, restored 1826,
1876, 1902 and 1984. Roughly coursed stone. North chapel of thin slabs
of iron stone and sandstone. Weatherboarded bell turret. Plain tile
roof, with wood shingles to spire. Nave with west bell turret, and with
lean-to south chapel or aisle at west end. South porch. Small chancel.
North chapel and north aisle. West turret: rectangular, with louvres to
north and south. Splay-footed octagonal spirelet with weathervane. Nave:
late C11 or C12, extended to west in C14, 2 west buttresses. Small
chamfered rectangular light to gable. Chamfered 2-centred arched west
window with hoodmould and Y tracery at least partly restored. Moulded
2-centred arched west doorway with broach stops. South-west aisle: C14
integral with west end of nave. Roof continuous with nave roof. Chamfered
west lancet with trefoil-headed light. No other windows. South elevation
nave: 2 buttresses. One window either side of porch, each 2-light in C14 style
with name of churchwarden inscribed under hoodmould and date 1826. 4
projecting stone corbels just below wall-plate. South Porch stone, with
plain gable and roughly chamfered 2-centred arched outer doorway. 9-light
ovolo-moulded wood mullion frieze windows to east and west, with round-
headed lights. Moulded wood cornice to inside with oak leaves carved on
chamfer stops. Steeply cambered arch-braced tie beams at north and south
ends. Chamfered inner doorway with broach stops, rebuilt with square head.
Chancel: late C11 or C12, largely rebuilt in 1902. Herringbone stonework
to base of south wall. Diagonal buttress. Gabled. 2-light C14 south
window with renewed head and hoodmould. C19 or early C20 east window of
3 lights with intersecting tracery and hoodmould. North chapel: C13.
Projects further north than north aisle. Gabled. 2-light east window with
original jambs but restored Y tracery. Chamfered pointed-arched north
window. North aisle: C13, extended to west by one bay in C14. Low, with
lean-to roof and unbroken north wall. West wall continuous with nave,
with chamfered, trefoil-headed west lancet. Dormer inserted at east end
1925. Interior: Structure: 3-bay north arcade to nave, all columns and
piers now resting on low chamfered padstones. 2 east bays C13 with
chamfered pointed arches, and piers with undercut moulded impost string and
chamfer-stops to base. West bay has broad pointed double-chamfered arch;
inner order springing from attached semi-octagonal columns with moulded
capitals and chamfered-stopped, bases. Flanking outer order has no imposts,
but cushioned chamfered-stops to bases. Similar arch opposite, to south.
Chancel arch pointed, chamfered to east and double-chamfered to west, added
above probably re-set Norman jambs with zig-zag moulding to outer order.
Plain south and west arches to north chapel, dying into walls.
West tower: timber framed, probably of C14 origin, altered in C19 and
reconstructed 1902; on rectangular frame with body of nave, with 4 arch-
braced corner posts and two C19 or C20 intermediate supports, and with
boarded floor at wall-plate level. Roar: C19 chancel and nave roofs, and
C19 boarding to north and south aisles. Nave has moulded medieval cornice
and two C16 tie-beams. Fittings: Stoup with cusped ogee head to south
wall of north chapel. Small communion table with turned legs and rails.
C18 pulpit with fielded panels. Veneered hexagonal tester now in south
aisle. C18 reredos at east end of north chapel, painted to resemble stone,
with fluted Doric pilasters and Ionic modillions to moulded cornice,
Broken-based central pediment, bears Decalogue and Creed. 4 oval
text boards to north wall of north aisle. Royal arms of 1780, north
wall of nave. Stained glass to east window by Lavers, Barraud and
Westlake, 1874. Traces of red and yellow paint on stonework.
Monument: in north chapel to John Fagge d.1639, and John Fagge his son,
d.1646, errected after 1646.Two reclining alabaster figures on white stone
chest with black marble plinth, lid and panel. Side pilasters bearing
coats of arms.
(R.S. Sharman, A guide for the Parish and Church of Brenzett, 1972.
J. Newman, Buildings of England Series, West Kent and the Weald, 1980).
Listing NGR: TR0050527730
