Church of St Mildred

Church of St Mildred, Church Lane

A parish church of exceptional architectural and historical importance, St Mildred's survives as one of only a handful of Anglo-Saxon churches remaining in Kent.

The building incorporates Saxon walling of considerable date in its south wall and part of the west wall of the nave, along with a small section of the south wall of the chancel. This walling is constructed from a mixture of flint, tile and stone with very large quoins, and the shell of the nave and probably the whole of the chancel are of Saxon date. Subsequent medieval development includes a 13th-century north-east chapel, 14th-century south windows to the nave, a 15th-century north aisle, and an early 16th-century south-east chapel built in 1512. The church underwent major restoration by Butterfield in 1861, when the west gallery with organ was relocated to the north side of the choir. A north porch was added in 1900. The building was further restored in the 1920s and following a fire in 1973.

The church is constructed principally of flint with tiled roofs and freestone dressings of Kentish ragstone and Caen stone, with evidence of former render on the north side. The south-east chapel is built of chequered flint and freestone, while the gable of the north aisle is rebuilt in brick.

The plan comprises a five-bay nave, two-bay chancel, north aisle (the east end of which, together with the north-east chapel, was refurbished as vestries and a church room following the late 1970s fire), a south-east chapel, and a north porch. A north tower was demolished in 1836.

Externally, the north side features five renewed lancet windows, two of which originally lit the north tower that stood over the aisle, and a 19th-century gabled porch. The west end of the aisle is Perpendicular in style with a stringcourse, brick gable and two-light 19th-century west window with a west doorway below. The north-west quoins of the nave are concealed by a buttress. The north-east vestry has a stringcourse, timber-framed north gable, and a depressed segmental arched doorway on the west side, with a stack bearing a tall brick chimneyshaft. The chancel has a five-light Perpendicular-style traceried east window and a three-light Perpendicular west window to the nave. The south side of the nave displays a single buttress and massive quoins at its east and west corners, along with three two-light 14th-century Decorated windows, one with renewed masonry. The south wall of the Saxon chancel is truncated by the 1512 chapel, which has three-light uncusped windows on its south and west sides and a 19th-century three-light Perpendicular-style window to the east. The chapel features a probably later parapet and east and west gables with freestone crosses set in the flintwork, and a north-west stack with a flint and freestone chimneyshaft.

The main interior entrance through the north-east porch has a medieval four-centred arch in Caen stone with an arched wooden door displaying blank shields and linenfold panelling. The aisle roof is of common rafter design with tie beams. The north arcade is Perpendicular with octagonal piers featuring concave sides. The nave roof is a crownpost design with four trusses featuring moulded arched braces to short posts in the walls, carried on moulded stone corbels.

The church contains important medieval and later fittings. A late 15th-century octagonal font has a bowl decorated with quatrefoils and a stem adorned with blind tracery; its original ogival cover features crocketed angles, a finial and pulley cable. A 19th-century stone drum pulpit displays blind traceried panels and a battlemented cornice, painted to match the late 19th or early 20th-century timber tester. A probably 16th-century fine timber eagle lectern is also present. The nave benches, dating from the 19th century, have simple shouldered profile ends.

The south-east chapel, built as a chantry chapel for the Atwood family in 1512, contains a 16th-century Tudor arched stone fireplace and a small 15th-century figure of St Mildred, thought to have been assembled from various medieval fragments. A high-quality 15th-century doorway from the former north-east chapel into the vestry has carved spandrels and an original door with vertical mouldings. The chancel arch incorporates a tie beam with arched braces, a crownpost and two outer posts with timber panels, probably a 1920s arrangement contemporary with the rood beam and figures below. Two probably medieval Perpendicular crownposts with moulded bases and capitals support the chancel roof, featuring four-way braces and a crenellated wall-plate. The sanctuary has a late 19th or early 20th-century boarded and panelled ceilure. The chancel includes 1920s panelling and furnishings incorporating probable 15th or 16th-century carved poppy-head bench ends originating from another church.

The church contains stained glass of considerable quality. Medieval fragments depicting St Mildred are preserved in the south-east chapel. The east window dates from 1897 by Ward and Hughes. The west window was created by Burlisson and Grylls and was re-used from St Paul's Church, Ramsgate following bomb damage. Two lancet windows are by Lavers, Barnard and Westlake, while the west window of the north chapel features stained glass depicting St Helena and St Mildred by Kempe Studios.

The church contains numerous monuments and memorials. Various wall tablets date from the 17th and 18th centuries. In the nave are an alabaster monument to Thomas Cranmer (nephew of the archbishop, died 1604), a monument to Sir William Cranmer (died 1691), and a black and white marble tomb chest to Sir Francis Head (died 1716) with panels decorated with sunflowers on the sides and arms and emblems of death on the front. Black basalt floor slabs are also present. The chancel holds a 1789 monument by Bacon to William Jackson (died 1789). The parish room contains a monument by J F Moore to Winefred Bridger (died 1776) featuring palm trees, a Roman sarcophagus and winged victory, with an adjoining wall tablet to William Smith (died 1699). The north porch displays tablets recording benefactions, a Royal Coat of Arms hangs in the north aisle, and both the north aisle and nave contain eight hatchments.

The church is dedicated to St Mildred (died 732), daughter of Merewald, King of Mercia, and Ermenburga, a Princess of Kent. After education at Chelles in France, she joined her mother in the convent at Minster-in-Thanet and later succeeded her as abbess. The church was probably built in the mid-11th century, soon after the relics of St Mildred had been brought from Minster to St Augustine's Abbey. The church remained in the ownership of St Augustine's Abbey until 1538, when it passed to the crown. It was united with All Saints in 1684, though it had been united with St Mary-de-Castro at an earlier date.