St Mary's Church, Hunton

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St Mary's church, Hunton
St Mary, Hunton, Kent - geograph.org.uk - 326630.jpg
Kent UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Kent
Coordinates: 51°13′15″N0°28′03″E / 51.220918°N 0.467627°E / 51.220918; 0.467627
Location Hunton, Kent
Country England
Denomination Anglican
Website
History
Status Parish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade I
Designated23 May 1967
CompletedLate 11th or 12th century; 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 19th centuries
Administration
Deanery Malling
Archdeaconry Tonbridge
Diocese Rochester
Province Canterbury

St Mary's Church is a parish church in Hunton, Kent. It was begun in the late 11th or the 12th century and is a Grade I listed building.

Hunton, Kent village in United Kingdom

Hunton is a civil parish and village near the town of Maidstone in Kent, England.

Kent County of England

Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west. The county also shares borders with Essex along the estuary of the River Thames, and with the French department of Pas-de-Calais through the Channel Tunnel. The county town is Maidstone.

Listed building Protected historic structure in the United Kingdom

A listed building, or listed structure, is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, Cadw in Wales, and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency in Northern Ireland.

Contents

Building

The church was begun in the late 11th century or in the 12th century and was altered and extended in the 13th, 14th, 15th, 16th and 19th centuries. The church is constructed of uncoursed rag-stone rubble and has plain tiled roofs. It was restored in 1876 by Ewan Christian. [1]

Course (architecture) layer of similar material in a structure, e.g. a row of bricks

A course is a layer of the same unit running horizontally in a wall. It can also be defined as a continuous row of any masonry unit such as bricks, concrete masonry units (CMU), stone, shingles, tiles, etc.

Rag-stone Work done with stones that are quarried in thin pieces

Rag-stone is a name given by some architectural writers to work done with stones that are quarried in thin pieces, such as Horsham Stone, sandstone, Yorkshire stone, and the slate stones, but this is more properly flag or slab work. By rag-stone, or Kentish rag, near London, is meant an excellent material from the neighborhood of Maidstone. It is a very hard limestone of bluish-grey colour, and peculiarly suited for medieval work. It is often laid as uncoursed work, or random work, sometimes as random coursed work and sometimes as regular ashlar. Ragstone, a dull grey stone, is still quarried on an industrial scale close to the Kent Downs AONB. It has traditionally been used within the AONB as a road stone, cobble or sett and a walling block. Although difficult to ‘dress’ with a regular face it has been used as rectangular blocks for the construction of walls and buildings and was very popular for the construction of 19th-century churches. More frequently, owing to the difficult and variable nature of the stone, it is seen as irregular and self-faced irregular blocks in walling. Due to its irregular shape, as with flint, ragstone has been set within brick quoins and bands. ‘Spalls’, fist sized irregular chips of ragstone, have been used to surface paths but modern usage of ragstone is as a general construction aggregate, including fill for gabions and loose or partly binding gravels.

Ewan Christian British architect

Ewan Christian (1814–95) was a British architect. He is most notable for the restorations of Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, and the design of the National Portrait Gallery. He was Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners from 1851 to 1895. Christian was elected A RIBA in 1840, FRIBA in 1850, RIBA President 1884–86 and was awarded the Royal Gold Medal in 1887.

The nave is adjoined by an aisle on the south side and the chancel has a chapel on its south side and a vestry to its north. The west tower is 13th century and comprises three stages divided by ashlared stone bands. The outer facing corners have diagonal buttresses. Single lancet windows punctuate the north, south and west sides of the second and third stages. The spire is pyramidal with wood shingle covering, which also covers the lean-to roof of the stair turret on the south-east side of the tower. [1]

Nave main body of a church

The nave is the central part of a church, stretching from the main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type building, the strict definition of the term "nave" is restricted to the central aisle. In a broader, more colloquial sense, the nave includes all areas available for the lay worshippers, including the side-aisles and transepts. Either way, the nave is distinct from the area reserved for the choir and clergy.

Chancel space around the altar of a traditional Christian church

In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar, including the choir and the sanctuary, at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building. It may terminate in an apse. It is generally the area used by the clergy and choir during worship, while the congregation is in the nave. Direct access may be provided by a priest's door, usually on the south side of the church. This is one definition, sometimes called the "strict" one; in practice in churches where the eastern end contains other elements such as an ambulatory and side chapels, these are also often counted as part of the chancel, especially when discussing architecture. In smaller churches, where the altar is backed by the outside east wall and there is no distinct choir, the chancel and sanctuary may be the same area. In churches with a retroquire area behind the altar, this may only be included in the broader definition of chancel.

Ashlar Finely dressed stone and associated masonry

Ashlar is finely dressed stone, either an individual stone that has been worked until squared or the structure built of it. Ashlar is the finest stone masonry unit, generally cuboid, mentioned by Vitruvius as opus isodomum, or less frequently trapezoidal. Precisely cut "on all faces adjacent to those of other stones", ashlar is capable of very thin joints between blocks, and the visible face of the stone may be quarry-faced or feature a variety of treatments: tooled, smoothly polished or rendered with another material for decorative effect.

The south aisle is 15th century. The rubble wall has a single buttress adjacent to the south porch on the west end and a plain parapet. A pair of two-lighted rectangular windows are on the south side and a two-lighted pointed arch window is in the west end. The porch is diagonally buttressed on the outer corners with a gabled roof. The south chapel was rebuilt or refaced in 1866 in with two-lighted rectangular windows in 15th century style. The north wall of the nave is from the late 11th century or from the 12th century with quoins of tufa stone. Two two-lighted windows traceried with quatrefoil and sexfoil decoration are late 13th century or early 14th century. A 15th-century three-lighted window is located in the centre of the north façade. The chancel is mostly 13th century with elements contemporaneous with the nave. The three-lighted east window is 19th century, but in 15th century style. The north façade contains a broad lancet window. The vestry was probably added in 1866 and has two lancet windows on the north side and a doorway on the west. [1]

Tufa Porous limestone rock formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of ambient temperature water

Tufa is a variety of limestone formed when carbonate minerals precipitate out of ambient temperature water. Geothermally heated hot springs sometimes produce similar carbonate deposits, which are known as travertine. Tufa is sometimes referred to as (meteogene) travertine. It should not be confused with hot spring (thermogene) travertine. Tufa, which is calcareous, should not be confused with tuff, a porous volcanic rock with a similar etymology that is sometimes also called "tufa".

Tracery

In architecture, tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out. There are two main types, plate tracery and the later bar tracery. The evolving style from Romanesque to Gothic architecture and changing features, like the thinning of lateral walls and enlarging of windows lead to the innovation of tracery. The earliest form of tracery, called plate tracery, began as openings that were pierced from a stone slab. Bar tracery was then implemented, having derived from the plate tracery. However instead of a slab, the windows were defined by molded stone mullions which were lighter and allowed for more openings and intricate designs. Other notable styles of tracery to follow include geometrical tracery and curvilinear (flowing) tracery.

Quatrefoil Artistic representation of four circular leaf shapes used in architecture

A quatrefoil (anciently caterfoil is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional Christian symbolism. The word quatrefoil means "four leaves", from Latin quattuor, four, plus folium, a leaf, referring specifically to a four-leafed clover, but applies in general to four-lobed shapes in various contexts. In recent years, a number of luxury brands have asserted copyright claims related to the symbol.

Interior looking east from the nave to the chancel St Mary, Hunton, Kent - geograph.org.uk - 326631.jpg
Interior looking east from the nave to the chancel

Internally, the nave is separated from the aisle with a 15th-century arcade of three bays of pointed arches with octagonal columns. The tower and chancel arches are 13th century and 14th century respectively. The arches from the chancel to the vestry and chapel and between the aisle and chapel are all 19th century. The nave has a crown post roof with moulded posts and chamfered tie beams. The chancel roof is boarded and the roof to the chapel is scissor braced. [1]

Bay (architecture) space defined by the vertical piers, in a building

In architecture, a bay is the space between architectural elements, or a recess or compartment. Bay comes from Old French baee, meaning an opening or hole.

Crown post

A crown post is a term in traditional timber framing for a post in roof framing which stands on a tie beam or collar beam and supports a collar plate. Historically, crown posts were called king posts, but this usage is confusing and obsolete. A crown post is designed to be in a compression and transfers weight to the tie beam, where a king post is designed to be in tension and supports the tie beam. In the U.K a crown strut is similar to a crown post but does not carry a plate.

Chamfer flat transitional edge between two faces of a manufactured object

A chamfer is a transitional edge between two faces of an object. Sometimes defined as a form of bevel, it is often created at a 45° angle between two adjoining right-angled faces.

The south wall of the chancel contains a Bethersden Marble 13th century double sedile at its east end with a piscina in the south-east corner. The font is octagonal with traceried panels. [1]

Sussex Marble is a fossiliferous freshwater limestone material which is prevalent in the Weald Clay of parts of Kent, East Sussex and West Sussex in southeast England. It is also called Petworth Marble, Bethersden Marble or Laughton Stone in relation to villages where it was quarried, and another alternative name is winklestone. It is referred to as "marble" as it polishes very well, although it is not a true marble, geologically speaking, as it has not been subject to metamorphism. The matrix is made up of the shells of freshwater gastropods and viviparus winkles, similar to but larger than those making Purbeck Marble. The pale calcified remains of the shells are in a matrix of darker material. West Sussex has a good concentration of thin layers of Sussex Marble; beds typically measure no more than 1 foot (0.30 m) thick. There are often two beds—the lower formed of smaller-shelled gastropods than the upper—with a layer of calcareous clay between them.

Piscina Wikimedia list article

A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, or else in the vestry or sacristy, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium of the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium. They are often made of stone and fitted with a drain, and are in some cases used to dispose of materials used in the sacraments and water from liturgical ablutions. They are found in Roman Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, and a similar vessel is used in Eastern Orthodox churches.

Baptismal font article of church furniture intended for infant baptism

A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.

The Church of St Mary was Listed (Grade I, English Heritage Legacy ID: 432265) on 23 May 1967. The history provided in that document includes this background information: "Parish church. Late C11 or C12, C13, C14, C15, C16, and 1866. Restored 1876 by Ewan Christian. Uncoursed ragstone rubble with plain tile roof. West tower, nave, south aisle, south porch, chancel with south chapel and north vestry". A marble tablet on the nave wall is dedicated to Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman who maintained a country estate nearby (now called Hunton Court); he died in 1908. [2]

Monuments and memorials

The church contains a number of monuments to local families including Sir Thomas Fane MP and his wife (both d. 1606), Francis Fane (d. 1651?), Lady Anne Fane (d. 1663), Sir Thomas Fane MP (d. 1692), Henry Hatley (d. 1716), Thomas Turner (d. 1776), Thomas Durant Punnett (d. 1785) and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman (d. 1908, Prime Minister 1905–1908 and owner of nearby Hunton Court). [1]

The churchyard contains a number of Grade II listed tombs and headstones including those of James Allen (d. 1682), [3] Paul Beeston (d. 1694), [4] Richard Beeston (d. 1691), [5] Ann Bishop (d. 1653), [6] James Bishop (d. 165(2)?), [7] Mary Bisset (d. 1698), [8] William Bisset (d. 1714), [9] Henry Catlet (d. 1700), [10] Samuel Hovenden (d. 165(3)?), [11] Thomas Newman (d. 1710), [12] and Mary Snatt (d. 1666). [13] Several others, without identifiable inscriptions, are also listed. [14]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Historic England. "Church of St Mary (1250030)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  2. ↑ https://britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/101250030-church-of-st-mary-hunton, Church of St Mary - A Grade I Listed Building in Hunton, Kent
  3. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to James Allen about 3 metres east of Chancel of Church of St Mary (1250055)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  4. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Paul Beeston about 12 metres south of south chapel of Church of St Mary (1250059)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  5. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Richard Beeston about 10 metres south of south chapel of Church of St Mary (1250073)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  6. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Ann Bishop about 10 metres west of tower of Church of St Mary (1263455)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  7. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to James Bishop about 10 metres west of tower of Church of St Mary (1250079)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  8. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Mary Bisset about 7 metres west of south west buttress of tower of Church of St Mary (1250091)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  9. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to William Bisset about 7 metres west of south west buttress of tower of Church of St Mary (1250094)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  10. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Henry Catlet about 15 metres north west of tower of Church of St Mary (1263424)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  11. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Samuel Hovenden about 6 metres east of south chapel of Church of St Mary (1250098)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  12. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Thomas Newman about 13 metres north of chancel of Church of St Mary (1250107)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  13. ↑ Historic England. "Monument to Mary Snatt about 5 metres south of south aisle of Church of St Mary (1250118)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  14. ↑ Historic England. "Monument about 4 metres west of north west buttress of Church of St Mary (1250119)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
    Historic England. "Monument about 6 metres west of west door of tower of Church of St Mary (1250120)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
    Historic England. "Monument about 11 metres west of tower of Church of St Mary (1250123)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
    Historic England. "Monument about 2 metres south of south aisle of Church of St Mary (1250125)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
    Historic England. "Monument about 5 metres west of tower of Church of St Mary (1263400)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
    Historic England. "Monument to Bishop about 6 metres west of tower of Church of St Mary (1263419)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 18 August 2012.
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