St Mary Magdalene Church, Stockbury facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary Magdalene Church |
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| Location | Stockbury, Kent |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | church website |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 26 April 1968 |
| Style | Early Norman/ Perpendicular Gothic |
| Completed | Late 12th century, 13th and 15th centuries |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Mary Magdalene, Stockbury |
| Archdeaconry | Maidstone |
| Diocese | Canterbury |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Mary Magdalene is a historic parish church located in Stockbury, Kent. This beautiful church started being built in the late 1100s. More parts were added in the 1200s and 1400s. It was also repaired and updated in the 1800s. It is a very important building, officially listed as a Grade I listed building. This means it's considered a building of special architectural or historic interest.
Contents
Building the Church: A Look at Its History
The church's construction began around the year 1200. Some parts, like the chancel (the area around the altar) and the north aisle (a side section), are still from this early period. The church is mainly built from flint stones. It also has stone dressings, which are carefully cut stones used for details. The roofs are made of simple tiles.
Changes Over Time
The main part of the church, called the nave (where people sit), and the south aisle were rebuilt in the 1800s. This work was done by an architect named R. C. Hussey. Both the north and south aisles have a porch in the middle. The north porch is now used as a vestry, which is a room for clergy and church items. The south porch was also rebuilt in the 1800s.
The West Tower: A Tall Feature
The church has a tall tower at its west end, built in the 1400s. It connects to the nave at a slight angle. The tower has two main sections and a battlemented parapet at the top. This parapet looks like the top of a castle wall with gaps. Below it, there's a stone band called a string course decorated with gargoyles. Gargoyles are carved stone figures, often shaped like monsters, used as water spouts.
Tower Details
A round stair tower on the south-east corner of the main tower rises even higher than the roof. It's the highest point of the church and has a weathervane on top, which shows the year 1676. A smaller tower built into the wall on the north side of the main tower was added in the 1800s. The large arched window on the west side of the tower is in an early Perpendicular Gothic style. This style is known for its tall, straight lines.
Windows and Inside the Church
The north aisle has two large Perpendicular style windows. It also has a battlemented rood loft stair tower, which once led to a rood loft (a gallery above the entrance to the chancel). The rebuilt south aisle has both rectangular and arched Perpendicular windows.
Transepts and Chancel Windows
The north and south transepts (parts of the church that stick out like arms) have pairs of lancet windows on their east sides. One of these in the north transept is very old, from the early 1200s. The end walls of the transepts have large Perpendicular windows. The chancel has lancet windows on its north and south sides. It also has three plain arched windows at the east end, which were built in the 1800s.
Inside the Church: Arches and Roofs
Inside, the nave is separated from the aisles by an arcade. An arcade is a row of arches supported by columns. This one has four bays (sections) on each side, mostly rebuilt in the 1800s. The chancel also has arches on each side. The two arches closest to the west on each side lead into the transepts.
Roofs and Features
The roofs of the nave and the south transept have moulded crown posts. These are decorative wooden supports. The rest of the church's roof has plain ceilings. The font (where baptisms take place) has a wooden cover shaped like an ogee (a curve with a double S-shape). The south wall of the chancel has a piscina, which is a basin used for washing sacred vessels. Two special monumental brasses (engraved brass plates) are set into the chancel floor. They remember John and Dorothy Hooper, who passed away in 1617 and 1648.
Churchyard and Nearby History
Outside the church, in the churchyard, there is a war memorial. You can also find several old headstones and a tomb that are listed as Grade II historic structures. Next to the churchyard, on the south side, you can see the remains of an old Norman ringwork fortification. This was a type of castle or fort built by the Normans. It is now a scheduled monument, meaning it's a nationally important archaeological site.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Maidstone
