Church of St Thomas à Becket, Capel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of St Thomas à Becket, Capel |
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Church of St Thomas à Becket, Capel, from the southwest
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| OS grid reference | TQ 637 445 |
| Location | Capel, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Thomas Becket |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 20 October 1954 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Sandstone, partly rendered Roof tiled |
The Church of St Thomas à Becket is an old Anglican church in the village of Capel, Kent, England. It is a special building, listed as Grade I, which means it is very important. The church is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. Capel is about 4 km (2.5 miles) east of Tonbridge. People say that Thomas Becket himself once preached here, either inside the church or under a yew tree in the churchyard.
Contents
History of the Church
This church first started in the Norman times, many centuries ago. The arch leading to the chancel (the part of the church near the altar) was built in the 1200s. The tower and the main part of the church, called the nave, were added later, in the 1300s or early 1400s.
Some changes were made in the 1500s. In 1639, there was a fire in the church tower, and parts of it had to be rebuilt. The chancel and the south wall were repaired and updated in the 1800s. Since 1986, the Churches Conservation Trust has taken care of the church. It is open every day for visitors to explore.
What the Church Looks Like
Outside the Church
The church is built from sandstone. The chancel and the north wall have a special plaster-like coating called stucco. The roof is made of tiles. The church has a simple shape: a main hall (nave), a chancel with a small room (vestry) on its north side, and a short, wide tower. You enter the church through this tower.
The tower has a strong base and diagonal supports called buttresses. At the top, it has a battlemented parapet, which looks like the top of a castle wall. A pyramid-shaped roof sits on top, with a weathervane from the 1900s. The openings for the bells are narrow, tall windows called lancets, with wooden slats (louvres) inside. On the west side of the tower, there's a simple round-topped doorway with two lancet windows above it. The south wall of the nave has four windows, and the north wall has two lancet windows. There's also a special door for the priest in the south wall of the chancel. The east window was added in the 1800s and is in an Early English style.
Inside the Church
Inside the tower, there's a small entrance area and a wooden staircase. The church walls are painted white with a special lime wash. The floors are tiled.
One of the most exciting things inside are the wall paintings on the north wall of the nave. These paintings are probably from the 1200s. They show stories from the Bible, like Cain and Abel and Jesus entering Jerusalem. They were found in 1927 and later carefully restored. Near the west end of this wall, there is a small alcove called a niche.
The chancel has a stone altar from the 1900s. The wooden rails around the altar are from 1662. The wooden pulpit (where sermons are given) is from the 1800s. The stone font, used for baptisms, is likely from the Middle Ages. It has an eight-sided bowl on a round base.
There are only a few memorials inside. You can see brass plaques remembering those who died in the World Wars. There is also a plain marble plaque from 1834. Above the arch leading to the tower, there's a board painted with the royal arms (the king or queen's symbol). Other boards on the west wall have the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments written on them.
The colorful stained glass in the east window was made in 1905. It shows Jesus as Christ the King, with his mother and St John beside him. This beautiful window was created by Horatio Walter Lonsdale.
The church also has an organ. An organ called "St Cecilia" was first put in the church in 1925. Later, it was replaced by a different type of organ called a reed organ. In 1990, another St Cecilia organ was brought here from All Saints' Church, Tudeley.
Churchyard Features
Outside the church, in the churchyard, there are several old tombs and headstones. Many of these are also listed as Grade II buildings, meaning they are historically important. There are two large chest tombs, one from the 1500s or 1600s, and another from 1768. There are also many old headstones, some with names and dates from the 1600s and 1700s, and some where the writing can no longer be read.
See also
