Church Of St Peter And St Paul

Church of St Peter and St Paul, Headcorn

A parish church of primarily late 14th and 15th-century date, with 13th-century origins in the chancel. The church was substantially restored in 1854–5 and 1868 by Clarke, and again in 1878 by G.M. Hills. Built of Bethersden marble with plain tile roofs, it comprises a west tower, nave continuous with the chancel to the south but slightly projecting to the north, a south aisle continuous with a south chancel chapel and flush with the chancel's east end, and a south porch with parvis chamber.

The late 14th-century west tower rises in three stages on a moulded plinth with angle buttresses and battlements above a moulded string. A polygonal north-east stair turret with plain parapet stands higher than the tower. The belfry windows comprise east and west openings of 2 lights with vertical bars, quatrefoil and hoodmould, and north and south openings of 3 trefoil-headed lights with squared hoodmould. The central stage features a single trefoil-headed light to the west and rectangular lights with iron bars to north and south. The west window displays 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with intersecting tracery incorporating inverted mouchettes, set within a 2-centred arched casement-moulded architrave. The hoodmould carries carved heads as label stops with 4 carved grotesques beneath. Below the window is a rectangular panel containing a sunk quatrefoil and shield. The west doorway is 2-centred arched with casement-moulded architrave, slender moulded shafts flanking each side, carved spandrels, and a squared moulded hoodmould with carved heads as label stops.

The south aisle and south chapel date to the late 14th century, with the chapel possibly retaining 13th-century origins and refenestrated in the 15th century. Both rest on a moulded stone plinth with south-west and south-east angle buttresses and battlements above a moulded string. The south aisle contains three windows of 3 slightly stepped cinquefoil-headed lights with hoodmoulds—one to the west end and one on each side of the porch. The south chapel features three 4-centred arched 2-light windows with hoodmoulds, alternating with buttresses. A low 2-centred arched doorway with renewed architrave provides entry to the chapel. The restored east window contains 5 traceried lights with hoodmould.

The south porch, probably dating to the late 14th century, stands on a moulded stone plinth with battlements above a moulded string. A polygonal north-west stair turret with plain parapet rises from its north-west corner. Small rectangular lights pierce the north and south porch walls, with slightly larger lights carrying hoodmoulds lighting the chamber. The outer 2-centred arched casement-moulded doorway bears a hoodmould, while the inner doorway is of Bethersden marble with 2-centred arch, hoodmould, and ribbed door.

The chancel, of 13th-century origin but refenestrated probably in the late 14th or 15th century, stands without a plinth and is supported by a single buttress. It terminates in a gable. The tall restored 2-centred arched traceried east window contains 3 cinquefoil-headed lights below and 3 above a central transom, with hoodmould. Two north windows serve the chancel: the eastern sits higher with 2 trefoil-headed lights and hoodmould, while the western features a moulded architrave, 2 cinquefoil-headed lights, tracery of vertical bars, and hoodmould.

The nave's north elevation, probably dating to the late 14th century, rests on a moulded plinth continuous with that of the tower. Four 3-light traceried windows incorporating inverted daggers, with moulded architraves and hoodmoulds, alternate with buttresses.

Interior structure comprises a 5-bay nave arcade to the south of pointed arches with hollow chamfer and semi roll mouldings. The two westernmost arches have lower heads. The arcade features octagonal columns of Bethersden marble with moulded capitals and bases. The eastern column stands free and serves as the springing point for the chancel arch, chancel arcade, and arch between the south chapel and south aisle. The chancel arch and the arch between chapel and aisle mirror the south arcade's design. The 2-bay chancel arcade contains plain-chamfered pointed arches springing from a chamfered rectangular pier with undercut and roll-moulded abacus. A deeply moulded pointed-arched tower arch with attached shafts and capitals moulded like those of the south arcade dominates the west end. Additional doorways include a 4-centred arched hollow-chamfered opening to rood-loft stairs at the east end of the north nave wall, a 3-centred arched doorway with semi roll moulding to the tower stairs, a 2-centred arched hollow-chamfered doorway to the parvis chamber stairs, and a low 4-centred arched hollow-chamfered north doorway to the chancel. A small rectangular light illuminates the parvis chamber.

The roof above the nave dates to the late 14th or early 15th century. A collar-rafter roof spanning 7 trusses (5½ bays) features moulded aligned butt purlins. Heavily moulded composite solid-spandrel arch-braces rise to the collars, their moulding continued down pendant posts. Hollow-chamfered windbraces carry carved spandrels between windbraces and purlins. Above the collars, heavy-scantling scissor braces halve across yokes. Ashlar-pieces sit between the bases of scissor-braces and the tops of purlins, and between rafters and cornice. A moulded and brattished cornice runs beneath. The chancel roof is boarded in 7 cants, while lean-to roofs cover the south chapel and aisle.

Fittings include three piscinae: a rectangular hollow-chamfered example at the east end of the south aisle's south wall, a larger similar piscina at the east end of the chapel's south wall, and a cinquefoil-headed piscina at the east end of the chancel. An octagonal 15th-century font with carved concave sides, shafted octagonal stem, and moulded base on an octagonal stone plinth stands to the south side of the south arcade. A screen base, partly of early 16th-century date, displays a variety of linenfold panelling with frieze carved differently in each section. An 1878 pulpit incorporates re-used linenfold panelling and features an inlaid hexagonal tester. Painted panels, probably from a 17th or 18th-century reredos, depict Moses and Aaron. Royal Arms hang above the tower arch. A Benefactors' Board dated 1787 adorns the south nave wall, alongside four boards bearing the Creed and Decalogue.

Decoration includes 15th-century stained glass in the heads of north nave and south aisle windows. A 15th-century tomb recess towards the east end of the south aisle's south wall displays Culpeper arms to its spandrels. It contains a low Bethersden marble table tomb with corniced lid set into a recess spanned by a broad 4-centred arch, cusped and subcusped, with large leaves over the cusps. Slender shafts with moulded capitals and bases flank the opening. Quatrefoiled spandrels and a squared moulded and embattled hoodmould complete the composition. An 18th-century tablet of black and white marble set into the east chancel wall features a moulded plinth on a shaped base panel, flanking pilasters, and a moulded open-topped pediment with escutcheon; its inscription was barely legible at the time of re-survey.