St Peter's and St Paul's Church, East Sutton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Peter's and St Paul's church
North side of the church
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Location	East Sutton, Kent
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	church website
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	26 April 1968
Completed	Mid 13th century, 14th, 15th and 16th centuries
Administration
Deanery	The Weald
Archdeaconry	Maidstone
Diocese	Canterbury
Province	Canterbury

St Peter's and St Paul's Church is a special old church in East Sutton, Kent. It is named after two important saints, Peter and Paul. People started building this church way back in the mid-1200s.

Over the years, more parts were added in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1500s. The church has also been fixed up and made new again in the late 1800s and late 1900s. This church is so important that it is a Grade I listed building. This means it is a very old and special building that must be protected.

What Does the Church Look Like?

The west tower from the south-west with the stair turret, south aisle and south porch visible.

Building the church began around the mid-1200s. It was built in different stages over the next 300 years. The church was repaired and made better in 1897-1898 and again from 1984-1995.

The Tower and Its Features

The church is made of stone and has a roof with flat tiles. The tall tower at the west (front) side was built in the 1200s. It has three main levels. Strong supports called buttresses are on its corners. There is also a taller, round staircase tower on one side.

Each level of the tower is separated by a stone line called a string course. The very top of the tower has a battlemented parapet. This means it looks like the top of a castle wall with gaps. The front of the tower has a window with three parts. Below it is a small door. The middle level has small rectangle windows. The top level has two-part windows for the church bells.

The Main Hall and Side Areas

The main part of the church, called the nave, was built in the 1300s. On each side of the nave are aisles, which are like side hallways. These were added in the early 1400s. The outside walls of the aisles also have buttresses. They have a stone base and a battlemented parapet at the top, just like the tower.

Inside, the aisles are separated from the nave by rows of arches. These arches are pointed and rest on eight-sided columns. The tops of these columns have different carved designs. Each aisle has two large windows with three parts. The roofs of the aisles are not very steep. This is different from how they might have looked before the 1400s.

In the middle of the south aisle, there is a porch built in the 1400s. It has small windows on its sides. The arched doorway has special four-leaf clover shapes carved into it.

The Chancel and Chapels

The chancel is the part of the church where the altar is. It has small chapels on each side. These chapels are separated from the chancel by arches and eight-sided columns. The east end of the church has a pointed roof and a three-part window. This window was put in during the 1897 repairs.

Each chapel has buttresses and a steep roof that is taller than the chancel roof. The north chapel has a very detailed three-part window with many carved shapes like four-leaf clovers and stars. Each chapel is connected to its nearby aisle by an arch. This was likely added in the early 1400s.

The roofs of the nave and chancel have special wooden beams called crown post trusses. The ones in the nave have carved tops and decorations. The church also has a six-sided font from the 1200s. This is where babies are baptized. It stands on seven plain columns. There are also special basins called piscinas in the walls of the sanctuary and chapels. These were used for washing holy items. The carved wooden pulpit (where the priest gives sermons) is six-sided and from the early 1600s.

Old Memorials and Important People

This church has many memorials for the Filmer family. They used to own the big house next door, East Sutton Park. These memorials remember people like Robart Filmer (who died in 1585) and Sir Robert Filmer (who died in 1720). Many other Filmers are also remembered here, showing how important they were to the church and area. There are also memorials for Richard Argal (who died in 1605) and Margaret Randolph (who died in 1609).

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in Maidstone