St Mary's Church, Wingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Wingham |
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St Mary's Church, Wingham
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 St Mary's Church, Wingham
Location in Kent
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| 51°16′20″N 1°12′46″E / 51.2723°N 1.2129°E | |
| OS grid reference | TR 24212 57474 |
| Location | Wingham, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 11 October 1963 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 63 feet (19 m) |
| Materials | Flint, both knapped and coursed with rubble stone |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Wingham |
| Deanery | East Bridge |
| Archdeaconry | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Canterbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary's Church, Wingham is an Anglican church located in Wingham, Kent. It is a very important historical building. The church is officially recognized as a Grade I listed building. This means it is a building of exceptional interest.
Contents
History and Design of St Mary's Church
The church started being built in the early 13th century, which is the early 1200s. But different parts of the church were built at different times. For example, the eastern parts, like the main church area (called the chancel) and the side chapels, were finished in the late 1200s.
How the Church Grew Over Time
The church tower and the side sections (called transepts) were added in the 1300s. The main seating area (the nave) and the south side walkway (the aisle) were built in the mid-1500s. An expert named John Newman found that the oldest parts of the church, like some arches and the south transept, were built even earlier, in the late 1100s. Some older stones from the Norman period were reused in the north chapel.
By the early 1200s, the church had grown to include a main area with side walkways. It also had either transepts or chapels. Between 1874 and 1875, Benjamin Ferrey worked to restore the church. His work mainly focused on the chancel.
Special Features of the Chancel and Transepts
The chancel and transepts were rebuilt when a special college was started here. You can see this in the design of the south transept. It has a window with three lights and three circles at the top, each with a three-leaf shape inside. The main arch leading to the chancel and the east window were restored in the 1870s.
The north chapel was designed to look like the south transept. Both chapels open into the chancel with similar arches. These arches are in an Early English style, which was popular in England during the 12th and 13th centuries. There's also a two-story addition to the north transept from the 1400s. Its north window might be from the 1700s.
The chancel windows sit on a continuous stone line. They still have their original decorative arches above them. Inside, there's a special basin (a piscina) and three seats (a sedilia) for priests. These features have decorative five-leaf shapes and flattened arches supported by small columns.
The West Tower and its Spire
The church's west tower began construction in the late 1200s. You can still see parts of the narrow, pointed windows (called lancets) from that time. The tower has a spire that was added in the 1300s. It is 63 feet (about 19 meters) tall and is built in a style common in Hertfordshire. Strong supports (called buttresses) go almost to the top of the tower. There's also a small stair-turret built into the northwest corner. The west window has been replaced. High up, there's an arch with eight-sided columns decorated with four-petalled flowers.
The rebuilding of the main seating area (nave) and the south walkway (aisle) started in the late 1400s. The south porch, which was from the 1300s, was kept but its upper floor was removed. The north aisle was not rebuilt, which gives the church its unique shape today.
The walls of these new sections are made of carefully cut flint stone. You can even find triangular stones set into the south wall. This rebuilding took a long time. It continued even after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the 1500s. Records show that people left money in their wills for the rebuilding between 1526 and 1562.
Work was ongoing in the 1540s. However, in 1555, some money meant for the rebuilding was stolen by a local beer brewer. Because of this, the archways inside the church were finished with timber (wood) instead of stone. The wooden posts were not very strong. Before the 1800s, these wooden supports were covered in plaster to make them look like fancy Doric columns. But during Ferrey's restoration work, the plaster was removed, showing the original timber again.
Inside the Church: Fittings and Art
The church has a stone reredos (a decorative screen behind the altar) from the 1400s. It is believed to be from a place called Troyes. Above it, there are five scenes showing the Passion of Christ (events leading to Jesus's crucifixion). Below, there are carvings of the Last Supper and the Adoration of the Kings.
There is also a base from a 15th-century rood screen, which used to separate the chancel from the nave. The church has special seats called misericords. There are four on the north side and three on the south side. The ones on the south side are older, probably from the early 1300s.
The south window in the chancel has some early 14th-century grisaille glass, which is glass with a greyish, painted design. The east window has colorful stained glass from 1919. It shows many bright scenes from the Passion of Christ.
Monuments and Memorials
Inside the church, you can find several monuments. These are like special memorials to people who have passed away.
- A tablet for Charles Tripp, who died in 1624, is in the south chapel.
- A monument for Sir Thomas Palmer (died 1624) is in the east part of the north chapel. This was made by a famous sculptor named Nicholas Stone.
- A large monument for the Oxenden family from 1682 stands in the middle of the south transept.
- Another monument for a second Thomas Palmer (died 1656) is in the north chapel. This one was put up in 1718.
- A double tablet monument for Streynsham Master (died 1718) is also in the north chapel.
- A tablet for Thomas Cinder (died 1719) is in the south aisle.
- A more recent monument was put up for William Miller, who died in 1861.
St Mary's College, Wingham
In 1282, a special college for priests (called Canons) was started by John Peckham, who was the Archbishop of Canterbury. This college originally had a leader (a Provost) and six Canons. They used St Mary's as their church. The college continued to exist until 1548, when many such religious institutions were closed down.
The Church Organ
The church has a large pipe organ with three keyboards. It was built in 1886 by a company called Forster and Andrews. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
Parish Status
St Mary's Church is part of a group of churches that work together. This group includes:
- St Nicholas' Church, Ash
- All Saints' Church, Chillenden
- Elmstone Church
- Holy Cross Church, Goodnestone
- St Mildred' Church, Preston-next-Wingham
- All Saints Church, West Stourmouth
