Church Of St Cosmas And St Damian

Church of St Cosmas and St Damian

Parish church comprising a 13th-century nave, 14th-century north aisle and north-east chapel, with a 15th-century tower and south aisle windows. The chancel was restored in 1871–3 and underwent general restoration in 1895. The nave arcade and south porch were reconstructed between 1950 and 1958 following bomb damage in 1944.

The building is constructed of flint, knapped in the chancel, with rubble walls elsewhere, ashlar quoins and dressings, and a plain tile roof. It comprises a west tower, nave, two aisles, south porch, chancel, and north-east chapel.

The west tower rises in three stages on a plinth, offset from the main body of the church, with diagonal buttresses, a string course, and battlements. A square stair turret with an octagonal battlemented top stands in the angle with the south aisle. The south aisle is decorated with three offset buttresses, a string course, and parapet. The north aisle has a weathered plinth and features one single-width and one double-width buttress with an angle buttress.

Fenestration includes a three-light 15th-century Perpendicular west window in the tower beneath an ashlar strainer arch, with a two-light Perpendicular window above. The upper storey has two-light Perpendicular windows on three faces, with single lights to the stair turret. A 14th-century south-west window is ogee-headed with a single light and two carved grotesque heads. The south aisle contains a two-light 15th-century Perpendicular window with a renewed mullion in a square-headed opening with drip-mould and carved-head stops (to the west), and a 19th-century Perpendicular-style window with mutilated carved ends to the moulding (to the east). The south-east window is a two-light 15th-century Perpendicular design with four lights above and an extended drip-mould. The north-west window is a 14th-century ogee-headed single light. The north aisle contains two 14th-century geometric two-light windows (much repaired in the 19th century) to the west, and a three-light 15th-century Perpendicular window with drip-mould to the east. The chapel east window is 19th-century Decorated style. The chancel south wall features a 19th-century two-light Perpendicular-style window to the west, an original 13th-century lancet, and a two-light Perpendicular-style window to the east. The chancel east window is a 19th-century Perpendicular-style composition of three lights with six lights above.

The west door is much repaired, constructed of plank and batten with a doubled roll and hollow-moulded surround and drip-mould with a ragstone strainer arch and ashlar keystone. A 20th-century south door and porch exists, and a plain chamfered north doorway with traces of a lost porch.

Interior

The tower arch is 15th-century with octagonal attached shafts. The nave comprises three bays. The south-west and two north-west piers are late 13th-century with round forms and barely undercut mouldings. The remainder of the arcade is 20th-century, reconstructed following 1944 bomb damage. The north aisle and north-east chapel are of a single 14th-century build, as wide and tall as the nave, with a large plinth and string course in the chapel. There is no chancel arch; the long, low chancel is essentially 1871–3 in date and steps up from the nave, with a 20th-century arch opening through to the north-east chapel.

Fittings include a holy water stoop by the south door, a wall bracket on the south aisle east wall, an ogee-headed piscina in the chancel, and a plain chamfered piscina with a stepped stone bench for sedilia in the chapel. The font is octagonal and dates to the 19th century.

Screens

A three-bay 15th-century Perpendicular screen to the tower features traceried lights and carved panels. A screen from the north aisle to the chapel is 15th-century Perpendicular, cut down to fit, now of three-and-a-half bays of four traceried lights with a central double door. Above runs a large cross beam with traces of fittings for a rood loft. Adjacent to the screen in the north wall is a spiral rood-stair with hollow-chamfered doorways featuring four-centred arches and hinge brackets. The chancel screen and return screen from the chancel to the chapel are 19th-century, brought from Eastwell church and inserted in 1895. These screens comprise seven bays to the nave and seven bays to the chapel. In the chapel stands a 15th-century moulded candle beam with moulded spandrels.

Fragmentary 15th-century glass appears in the north aisle windows, with angels, shields, and other fragments in the south aisle east window.

A brass to Thomas Thorston (died 1504) and "Johan his wyff" (both figures one foot high) is located in the south aisle. A group of floor slabs in the chancel includes one with a brass plaque dated 1614 to "Searlis Hawker and Joane his wife."