Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

This is a late 13th-century parish church, substantially restored in 1867 by Ewan Christian and again in 1887. The building is constructed of flint with a plain tiled roof.

The church comprises a nave and chancel with a north chapel and north aisle. A two-stage tower with string course and battlements stands at the north west, accompanied by a 19th-century north porch. The nave's west front features a simple chamfered doorway, a three-light Perpendicular window, and offset angle buttresses. Most fenestration dates to the 19th century, but there survive one lancet in the nave, two each in the chancel and chapel, and triple lancet east windows to both chancels. The north aisle retains ogee-headed 15th-century windows. Buttresses are irregularly placed throughout the building. The north porch has hollow and roll-moulded detailing to its north doorway, which features attached shafts.

Interior

The west end of the nave displays a line of corbels and a carved head, with a blocked arch opening to the tower. An arcade runs continuously from nave and chancel through to the north aisle and chapel: three bays span the nave and two the chancel. The arcade features round piers with moulded bases and capitals, supporting double-chamfered arches. The western respond sits on a finely carved head. The nave roof contains three crown posts.

The wall thickens at the chancel arch, which incorporates a rood loft passage to the north aisle. The chancel arch itself is broad with double-chamfered moulding, resting on a lozenge-shaped pier. A deeply rebated lancet sits at the east end of the nave. The chancel has a trussed rafter roof. Its lancets, originally on a continuous string course with moulded hoods, have been heavily altered. The deep, tall eastern lancets remain prominent. The north aisle and chapel are separated by a simple double-chamfered dividing arch. The aisle roof is long with only two crown posts, while the chapel roof has three.

The chancel contains a stop-chamfered piscina. 19th-century fittings include a lectern, pulpit, altar rails, and a marble reredos of 1891 with tiled inscription plaques. A mutilated moulded elliptical wall recess in the north chapel now has an ogee-headed window in its back wall. A simple font with an octagonal bowl on a round stem, dated with the inscription "I N", survives. A north aisle window contains 15th-century glass fragments dated to 1662.

Monuments and Memorials

The chancel holds a 19th-century series of black and white wall tablets to the Hammond family. The north chapel displays similar tablets to the Plumptre family, of which the most notable are those to Elizabeth Plumptre (died 1816), a plain white sarcophagus-shaped field on a guilloched base with a draped urn over, and Christopher Pemberton (died 1822) of 'Tic Doulereux' (trigeminal neuralgia), which is white and black with acroteria, a pediment, palm fronds, and coats of arms.

A small marble plaque on the chancel east wall bears a brass shield and inscription to William Simpson (died 1581), 'vice Marshall of Calais'. An Anthony Field monument of the 17th century consists of black and white marble with Latin and English verses containing puns on the name Field, a scrolled apron with winged cherubs, and ribband-enriched side pieces with broken pediment, strapwork, and skulls.

Two further wall tablets in the north aisle date to the 17th century, though both are illegible. One features a scrolled and bracketed apron and side pieces to cornice with cartouche and arms medallion; the other has a scrolled apron with oak leaf decoration and two cherub heads, with enriched Corinthian pilasters to cornice and an arched-headed inscription plaque.

Four lozenge-shaped hatchments of the Hammond family hang in the chancel.

Historical Context

The church was originally a chapelry of Wingham until 1282, when it was refounded as a benefice for Wingham College.