Church Of St Martin

Church of St Martin, Herne

The Church of St Martin at Herne is almost wholly rebuilt in the mid-14th century, though it retains an earlier 13th-century arch to the south chapel and an early 14th-century north-west tower. The north porch is dated to 1350. The church underwent refurnishing in the later middle ages, and the chancel was reroofed probably in the 17th century. Substantial restoration took place in the 19th century, including reroofing the nave and aisles. Work on remodelling the chancel chapels was carried out in 1890-92 to designs by Francis Butler. An office and vestry complex was inserted into the south chancel chapel in the late 20th century.

The building is constructed of flint and ragstone, mostly random rubble with some coursed rubble in the tower, with stone dressings and a tiled roof. The plan comprises a chancel with north and south chapels, a nave with north and south aisles, a north-west tower, and a north porch.

Externally, it presents a long, low church with no clerestory, largely 14th-century in appearance with some later windows. The fine north-west tower has three stages, with banded flint and ragstone masonry in the lower stage and plinth. The early 14th-century west window features intersecting tracery with foiled circles and trefoiled lights. The upper stages have pairs of trefoil-headed lights. A large Perpendicular west nave window and an ogee reticulated window appear in the west end of the south aisle. The tower forms a good composition with the nave and aisle west gables. The south aisle has Decorated south windows, and the south chancel chapel, which is wider than the aisle, was extended in the 19th century. The mid-14th-century chancel west window has a foiled circle over vertical tracery, sitting on the cusp between Decorated and Perpendicular styles. The north chancel chapel and aisle features an embattled parapet and gable, with two probably early 16th-century east windows with vertical tracery. A 19th-century statue niche displays an Annunciation and two cusped plaques with lilies in the gable. Decorated windows appear in the north chapel and aisle north windows. The two-storey north porch, dated by documentary evidence to 1350, has a stoup on either side of the entrance.

Internally, the church is plastered and painted and is largely 14th-century in date. However, the early 13th-century arch to the south chancel chapel from the aisle, the relieving arch for the tower, and the differing heights of the nave arcade pier bases suggest the present building was rebuilt around an existing church. A former apse was discovered under the floor of the north chancel chapel in the late 20th century during refurbishment and is marked in the modern flooring. The north-west tower stands within the west bay of the north aisle and probably predates the aisle. The elegant south and east tower arches feature many orders of tiny mouldings. The base of the tower has a quadripartite vault on shafted corbels with finely carved heads. A large four-centred relieving arch on trefoiled squinches rises over the north tower arch. The unusually low chancel arch is simple with a single, narrow order, perhaps cut back, and polygonal responds. The south nave arcade has five bays, with arcades of two chamfered orders on polygonal piers with moulded capitals and bases. The three-bay north arcade and the two-bay north and south chapel arcades are similar. A pair of 19th-century relieving arches with elaborate foliage and head corbels appear on the north chapel side of the north chancel chapel arcade. An additional shaft to support the north chapel roof has been added against the pier of the north chancel arcade. The south chancel chapel, which opens from the south aisle through an early 13th-century arch with chamfered imposts, was enclosed to form a two-storey vestry and office complex in the late 20th century. It contains a fine but damaged early 16th-century blocked priest's door. Squints from both chancel chapels look into the chancel, and a window in the chancel south wall opens internally following the extension of the south chapel in the 19th century.

Principal fixtures include an excellent Perpendicular font with shields and blind tracery on the bowl and an elaborate blind tracery stem and base, datable to circa 1405-14 by the heraldry. A late 15th or early 16th-century three-seat sedilia in the chancel features cusped four-centred arches and stepped seats under a straight, embattled cornice, with an adjacent piscina having a cusped head. Probably early 16th-century chancel stalls display fine poppyheads, shaped arm rests, and carved misericords, with two additional rows of 19th-century benches with poppyheads in front. A cusped ogee piscina and another recess appear in the south chapel.

A very good Perpendicular screen to the north chapel features cusped ogee reticulation on the panels. The doors have Renaissance motifs, each panel different, and appear to be 16th-century replacements, though the whole may be 16th-century. The upper part has four-centred openings or four vertical lights with complex miniature tracery and cresting with vine scrolls. This screen was copied in the late 19th or early 20th century for the south chapel. The chancel screen is late 19th or early 20th-century in a Decorated style, with heavy nodding ogee arches in the upper section. The cross is supported by curved cusped braces. 19th-century nave benches have blind traceried ends and backs. A 19th-century polygonal pulpit displays Decorated-style blind tracery similar to that on the chancel screen. An elaborate 19th-century reredos in the chancel features figures in carved niches.

The church contains many good monuments and brasses. Notable brasses, especially in the north chapel, include Peter Halle, circa 1430, a knight and lady holding hands; John Darley, circa 1460, a priest in academicals; and Christine Phelip, died 1470, alongside several 16th and early 17th-century brasses. Many good wall monuments, most within the south chapel and unfortunately often partially concealed by 20th-century vestry work, include Robert Knowler, died 1631, and wife, kneeling figures within an elaborate frame with cherub swags and a segmental pediment, and Gilbert Knowler, died 1737, a draped tablet within a large frame with Ionic columns and a scrolled pediment. In the chancel, Sir William Thornhurst, died 1606, appears as a kneeling figure with the tablet topped by a real helm. A number of good ledger slabs are also present, including one for William Ewell, died 1733, with skulls.

The probably 17th-century chancel roof has trussed rafters and tall, thin crown posts on light, slightly chamfered beams. The 19th-century nave roof has arched and wind braces. The south aisle and south chapel roofs of 1892 are panelled and have curved braces on long posts. The north aisle roof is also of trussed rafter construction.

Herne was a chapel of ease to Reculver until the early 14th century, and it is likely that the present church was rebuilt after it became a vicarage at that time, although there is clear evidence for one or more churches on the site before that date.