St Martin's Church, Acrise facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Martin's Church, Acrise
South view of the church
St Martin's Church, Acrise Location in Kent
51°08′14″N 1°08′05″E / 51.1373°N 1.1346°E / 51.1373; 1.1346
Location	Acrise, Kent
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	29 December 1966
Architectural type	Church
Specifications
Materials	Coursed flint
Administration
Parish	Acrise
Deanery	Elham
Archdeaconry	Ashford
Diocese	Canterbury
Province	Canterbury

St Martin's Church is a special old church in the village of Acrise, Kent, England. It belongs to the Church of England. This church is very old, going all the way back to the Norman era. Because of its history, it was named a Grade I listed building in 1966. This means it is a very important historical building.

History and Design of the Church

The oldest parts of St Martin's Church are the lower chancel (the area around the altar) and the nave (the main part where people sit). These sections were built during the Norman period. They are made from flint stones and ironstone, with special stone details from Caen, France.

Old Windows and Doors

If you look closely at the chancel, you can still see where a south window and a priest's doorway used to be. In the nave, there's a blocked-up window on the north side. The main entrance, the west doorway, was added later in the 13th century. Around the year 1300, the chancel was made longer. It has a damaged two-light window at the east end.

Later Additions and Changes

Many of the large, round-headed windows you see in the church today were put in during the 18th century. The porch, which is made of a checkerboard pattern of bricks, also dates from the 18th century. The bellcote (a small tower for bells) and the tiered spirelet (a small spire) at the west end were rebuilt after 1922. The strong supports called buttresses on the west side were added in the 19th century.

Inside the Church

The arch that connects the chancel and the nave is quite interesting. It has supports that stop halfway down and a sharply pointed arch. This arch was made from old stones that have carvings from the 12th century. Both the chancel and nave have special roofs with crown posts, which are vertical timbers supporting the roof.

There is a deep gallery at the west end of the church. It has carved wooden railings and a beautiful carving of the royal arms of William and Mary, which are painted gold. On the south side of the church, there is a special pew (a long bench) that belonged to the lord of the manor. It includes a table from 1758 and small chairs from the 18th century that were used by schoolchildren. The chancel was also repaired in the 19th century, especially the east end.

Stained Glass and Memorials

St Martin's Church has two beautiful stained glass windows that are worth seeing.

Colorful Windows

The first window was made in 1855 by a company called Powell. It has a special design called grisaille, which uses mostly grey and white glass with colorful borders. The second window is even more famous. It shows images of the Good Shepherd and the Light of the World. This window was created in 1897 by Heaton, Butler and Bayne and is located in the east part of the chancel.

Memorials to People

The church also has several monuments that remember people from the past.

• One monument is for Mary Heyman, who passed away in 1601. It is a brass plate, about 28 inches long, but her head is damaged.
• Another memorial is for Ann Papillon (who died in 1693) and her daughter Ann (who died in 1694). This memorial is a decorative plaque called a cartouche and is placed above the family pew. It was signed by an artist named Joseph Helby.
• There is also a long tablet remembering William Turner, who died in 1729.

See also

In Spanish: Iglesia de San Martín (Acrise) para niños