Church of St Mary, Chartham | |
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![]() Church of St Mary, Chartham | |
51°15′21″N 1°01′05″E / 51.2559°N 1.0180°E | |
Location | Chartham, Kent |
Country | England |
Denomination | Anglican |
Website | [1] |
History | |
Status | Parish church |
Founded | c. 1285 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Heritage designation | Grade I |
Designated | 30 January 1967 |
Architectural type | Church |
Completed | 1305 |
Specifications | |
Materials | knapped flint |
Administration | |
Province | Province of Canterbury |
Diocese | Diocese of Canterbury |
Archdeaconry | Canterbury |
Deanery | West Bridge |
Parish | Chartham |
Clergy | |
Vicar(s) | Revd Phil Brown |
St Mary's Church is in the village of Chartham, Kent, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the Diocese of Canterbury. Constructed between 1285 and circa 1305, with a later tower of the fourteenth century. In 1875, the church was restored by George Edmund Street. St Marys is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building.
An archaeological survey undertaken in 2010–11, found evidence of Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon habitation. [1] The present church dates from the late 13th century, with a traditional construction date of 1285. [2] A patent roll dating from the reign of Edward I records the partial remittance of a fine levied on the rector, "towards the works of his church begun by him". [3] The architectural historian John Newman notes that there is strong stylistic evidence to suggest the involvement of Michael of Canterbury, the master mason at Canterbury Cathedral. [3] The tower is later, of the fourteenth century. [2]
The church was restored between 1873 and 1875 by George Edmund Street. [2] It is designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. [2]
In 2018, the Commissary General of the Diocese of Canterbury delivered a significant judgement on the installation of closed-circuit television at St Marys. Allowing the application, the Commissary sought to balance public-access requirements, for which CCTV was necessary on security grounds, and the privacy expectations of parishioners. [4] The church remains an active parish church with regular services. [5]
The church is constructed of Kentish knapped flint with ragstone quoins. It is of cruciform design, with nave, transepts, chancel and tower. [3] The church has a number of features of particular note. The nave, transepts and crossing have "a magnificent series of c. 1300 timber roofs with large scissor-trussed rafters." [6] The windows in the chancel are considered amongst the very best examples of Kentish tracery. [3] The stained glass, although "much renewed in 1881 (has) enough glass of c.1294 to guarantee the authenticity of the whole". [3] The brass of the medieval knight, Sir Robert de Septvans, is one of the oldest in the country and "none are more memorable". [3] The church also contains monuments by Rysbrack and Thomas Scheemakers. [3]