Church Of St Mary

TQ 95 NE EASTLING SCHOOL LANE (north side)

4/13 Church of St. Mary

24.1.67 GV II*

Parish Church. C13 nave and chancel with C12 details, C14 chapel, restored 1855-6 by R.C.Hussey. Flint with plain tiled roofs and slate spire. Nave and aisles, chancel with south chapel, south-western tower and west porch. Reset west C12 doorway, the moulded surrounds with railhead and keel roll on attached and clasped shafts with acanthine capitals and billet moulded hood-mould. C19 flint porch. Two storey south-west tower with heavy offset buttresses, that to south-east rebuilt in brick. Round-headed belfry lights. Partially restored C15 Perpendicular fenestration except C14 bar tracery windows in south chapel and 2 C13 lancets in chancel north wall with 2 blocked quatrefoils in chancel east wall. North nave aisle entirely C19, with vestry to north west. Interior: nave with 3 bay arcade and 1 unarcaded western bay. The chamfered arches carried on round piers were re-constructed by Hussey, either re-using or copying exactly the moulded capitals, different in each case. C19 roof of 4 trussed crown posts. Double chamfered C19 chancel arch. South aisle with C14 chamfered arch to south chapel. South chapel of St. Katherine with 3 tie- beams exposed in roof, and 2 bay double hollow chamfered arcade to chancel, on hollowed octagonal piers. Chancel wall heavily battered and thicker in west bay, with 2 C13 lancets to north, and C13 roll-moulded reveal to C19 inserted east window. Waggon roof. Fittings: C13 trefoil-headed triple sedilia and piscina in chancel on colonnettes, deeply moulded capitals and mouldings under continuous hood mould. Double aumbry on north chancel wall, and 4 chamfered trefoil headed recesses on carved corbels and brackets, possibly choir or musicians' stalls. C19 box pews with brass triple candle holders, and C19 font. Late C17 wooden parish chest. Glass: 1863 in chancel lancet by Powell and Sons. Monuments: in chancel, wall plaque to William Wickens, d.1718. Black rectangular field with latin inscription, with white marble surround and cartouche over, on base with cherub's head and motto. In the south chapel, standing wall monument to Martin James, d.1592. A knight and 2 sons kneel opposite a reading desk, the wife and 2 daughters face them. Architectural surround with cornice on Corinthian columns, carrying obelisks and central achievement. The whole carved on small but detailed scale. [See BOE KENT II, 1983 (p306).)

Listing NGR: TQ9626356518