St John the Baptist, Penshurst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. John the Baptist, Penshurst |
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| Church of St. John the Baptist |
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St. John the Baptist, Penshurst
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Previous denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | penshurstchurch.org |
| History | |
| Status | Parish Church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 24 October 1950 |
| Architect(s) | Various |
| Years built | -1115 |
| Completed | 1115 |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 8 (full circle) |
| Tenor bell weight | 17 long cwt 01 lb (1,905 lb or 864 kg) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Rochester |
| Province | Canterbury |
The St John the Baptist Church in Penshurst, Kent, is a very old and important church. It's a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered to be of exceptional historical and architectural interest. It belongs to the Church of England. Many famous people are buried or remembered here. These include important leaders, soldiers, and even two winners of the Victoria Cross, which is the highest award for bravery in the British military. This church helps tell the story of England through the lives of people from one village.
Contents
History of the Church
A church has stood on this spot in Penshurst since 1115. It was built in the middle of a group of buildings, including the main house and the rectory. The church from 1115 is mentioned in an old book called the Textus Roffensis. There might have been an even older church here from Saxon times (before 1066 AD). This is suggested by old items found nearby that date back to 860 AD.
Penshurst's first priest, Wilhelmus, started his job in 1170. He was appointed by Archbishop Thomas Becket. This was Becket's last public act before he was killed two days later in Canterbury Cathedral. The main part of the church, called the nave, might be from this time.
Changes Over Time
The church has been changed and added to many times:
- Around 1200, the North aisle (a side section) was added.
- In the 13th century, a chapel was built on the South-East side.
- The South aisle and another chapel were built or rebuilt in the 14th century.
- In the 15th century, the walls of the nave and chancel (the area around the altar) were made taller. A tower was also added.
- The South aisle was made wider in 1631, and the South porch was built.
- In the 17th century, the tower might have gotten its unique corner turrets (small towers).
Major Restoration in the 1800s
The church was greatly repaired and partly rebuilt between 1864 and 1865. This work was done by a famous architect named George Gilbert Scott. He rebuilt and made the North aisle and North-Eastern chapel bigger. He also replaced many of the roofs and changed the windows in the South aisle. He wanted them to look more like older, medieval windows. More changes were made inside the church in the late 1800s.
What the Church Looks Like
St John the Baptist Church has a main area called the nave. On either side are the North and South aisles. The tower stands at the West end. There are also side chapels on the North-East, South, and South-East sides. The South-East chapel is special; it's called the "Sidney Chapel" and has its own entrance. The church is set back from the street and is very close to Penshurst Place, a historic country house.
Outside the Church
The outside of the church is built from sandstone blocks. You can see parts of the building that were built in almost every century from the 1100s to the 1800s. For example, the roof was raised in the 1300s, the bottom of the tower was added in the 1400s, and the current southern aisle was built in the 1600s.
Inside the Church
Inside, there isn't a traditional arch separating the nave from the chancel (the area near the altar). Instead, there's a large wooden arch from 1865–1866.
- Font: The church has a font from the 1400s. It's shaped like a polygon and has carvings of leaves and patterns.
- Pulpit: The stone pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is from around 1865. It has mosaic (small pieces of colored material) and carved heads.
- Chancel Screen: The screen separating the chancel was put in place in 1895. It's very detailed with delicate patterns.
- Stained Glass: There is beautiful stained glass from 1627 in the West window. It shows family crests. Other windows have glass from the 1800s and early 1900s.
Special Areas and Memorials
Chancel and Sanctuary
The Chancel is where the choir sits, and the Sanctuary is the area behind the altar. These parts of the church have features from the 1300s and late 1800s. The wooden screen in the Chancel was put in in 1897. It remembers Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, who was a very important leader called the Viceroy of India from 1910 to 1916. Another screen remembers other members of the Hardinge family who died in World War I.
Many memorials to past rectors (priests) of the parish are in the Sanctuary. One important rector was Revd. Henry Hammond (1605–1660). He became the priest of Penshurst at age 28 and later became the chaplain to King Charles I.
St Luke's Chapel
St Luke's Chapel is at the western end of the South aisle. It was renamed St Luke's in 1981. A special tapestry hangs above the altar here. It was made by a former village doctor, Dr A Wood, to remember his father, Dr C Wood, who was Penshurst's doctor for over 50 years. It's dedicated to St Luke, who is known as the first Christian doctor, showing the link between medicine and faith.
There's a memorial here to Sir William Coventry (around 1628–1686). He was an important member of the Naval Board, where Samuel Pepys worked and kept his famous diary.
Sidney Chapel
The Sidney Chapel is a private chapel for the Sidney family. They have lived at Penshurst Place for over 450 years. Family members can enter the church directly from their garden through a special gate. They still sit in this chapel during church services today.
The chapel was rebuilt in 1820 by an architect named John Biagio Rebecca. The ceiling of the chapel is shaped like a tunnel vault and is decorated with panels and painted designs. It also has many family crests (heraldic shields). This ceiling was restored in 1966.
Important Memorials in the Sidney Chapel
The Sidney Chapel holds many important memorials:
- A stone figure of Stephen de Pencester (died 1299). He is shown wearing chain mail.
- A large tomb for Sir William Sidney (1482?–1554). King Edward VI gave him Penshurst Place in 1552.
- A brass (metal plate) for Margaret Sidney, who died in 1558. She was the daughter of Sir Henry Sidney and sister of the famous Sir Philip Sidney.
- A cross for Thomas Bullayen, who was the brother of Anne Boleyn. Anne Boleyn was King Henry VIII's second wife and the mother of Queen Elizabeth I.
- A wall monument for Robert Sidney, 4th Earl of Leicester (1649–1702). It also remembers nine of his 15 children who died young.
- A marble tomb for Philip Sidney, 5th Earl of Leicester (1676–1705) and his family.
- A brass memorial for Thomas Yden, who died in 1514, and his wife Agnes.
- A memorial to Sophia, Lady De L'Isle (1795–1837). It shows a life-sized figure of a lady holding a Bible.
- A simple slate stone in the floor for Field Marshal John Vereker, 6th Viscount Gort. He was a VC winner and a very important military leader (1886–1946).
- A simple memorial on the south wall for William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle (1909–1991). He also won the VC and was the 15th Governor-General of Australia.
North Aisle
The North Aisle was made wider in 1854–1855, also designed by George Gilbert Scott. There are two brass tablets here remembering the Reverend George Richard Boissier (died 1858), who was the priest of Penshurst, and his wife Maria.
At the western end of the North Aisle, there's a memorial to Field Marshal Henry Hardinge, 1st Viscount Hardinge (1785–1856). He was a very important military leader. He served as the Governor-general of India and was the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces during the Crimean War.
Organ
The church organ was built in 1907 by J. W. Walker & Sons Ltd. It has two keyboards and a pedalboard, with 33 different sounds.
War Memorials
The church has memorials that list the names of villagers who died in three wars: the Boer War, World War I, and World War II.
Churchyard
In the churchyard, in front of the porch, is a large stone called the Dole Table. This table was used once a year to give money to the poor people of the village.
One person buried in the churchyard is Richard Sax, a farmer who was murdered after an argument.
The Rectory
From the 1200s to the 1900s, the priests of Penshurst lived next door to the church in a building called the Rectory. The Sidney family gave this building to the local church council. Later, the Diocese of Rochester (the church's regional authority) sold the old Rectory. In the 1990s, they built a smaller, new rectory in the garden of the old one.
