Church Of St George

The Church of St George is a parish church located in Benenden, dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. It was damaged in a storm in 1672 and subsequently restored in 1676 and again in 1862 by David Brandon. The church is constructed of sandstone ashlar, with the south aisle made of sandstone rubble and features a plain tiled roof.

The structure includes a continuous nave and chancel, along with north and south chapels, aisles, and porches that have parvises. The west tower is three stages high, square in shape, and has stepped buttresses, an octagonal turret with a spirelet at the southwest, and a crenellated parapet. The south side has a double round-headed window, while the west face features a double round-headed window at the top stage and a small rectangular window below. There is a pointed arched four-light window with cinquefoiled heads and intersecting tracery, as well as a pointed arched door with a dripmould and a 19th-century door with decorative iron hinges.

The nave and chancel are topped with a crenellated parapet and supported by stepped buttresses. They contain four three-light cinquefoiled windows with dripmoulds and a large east window with three tiers of cinquefoil-headed lights. The north porch has a round-headed arch and a parvise with trefoliated lancet windows, and it features a vaulted ceiling with eight ribs and a salamander carving on the boss. The south porch has a 19th-century crenellated parapet, offset buttresses, a rectangular window, and a pointed arched doorway.

Inside, the church has a five-bay nave supported by octagonal columns and arches. The 19th-century nave roof includes two tiers of purlins, crenellated tie beams, and foliated corbels. There is a 19th-century octagonal stone font, and the coat of arms of George II is displayed above the north door. The aisle roofs and chancel arch are also from the 19th century, the latter featuring angel corbels. The church contains 19th-century stained glass windows, an octagonal stone pulpit on marble piers, and in the north chapel, there is a monument to Sir John Morris of Hempstead, an Admiral of the Fleet who died in 1750, created by P. Scheemakers. This monument features a marble beast with an obelisk behind it, an inscription tablet below, and a family shield and crest. Additionally, there is a standing wall monument to Thomas Hallett Hodges, who died in 1801, showcasing an urn bearing a sarcophagus in front of a truncated pyramid.