St Mary's and All Saints Church, Boxley

St Mary's and All Saints is a parish church in Boxley, Kent begun in the 13th century and with additions in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church was restored in the 1870s. It is a Grade I listed building.[1]

St Mary's and All Saints Church
Church from the south-east
Location within Kent
LocationBoxley, Kent
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
WebsiteBoxley Church
History
StatusParish church
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Heritage designationGrade I
Designated26 April 1968
StyleDecorated Gothic/
Perpendicular Gothic
Completed13th, 14th and 15th centuries
Specifications
MaterialsRag-stone, Flint
Bells6 (full circle)
Tenor bell weight10 long cwt 3 qr 10 lb (1,214 lb or 551 kg)
Administration
ParishSt Mary's and All Saints, Boxley
DeaneryNorth Downs
ArchdeaconryMaidstone
DioceseCanterbury
ProvinceCanterbury

Building
The nave, looking towards the chancel and the east end

Structure

The church is constructed with uncoursed local rag-stone and flint walls and plain tiled roofs. The nave is flanked by aisles on each side and the chancel has a vestry on the south side. The tower at the west end of the nave has a narthex on its west side, being the remains of an earlier church.[1]

The tower is formed in three stages with buttressed corners and a battlemented parapet. A stair turret is attached to the north-east corner and belfry windows are located on the top floor on each side. The narthex has a half-hipped roof with a restored three-lighted perpendicular gothic window set left of centre on the west face above the entrance door. Smaller two-lighted windows are positioned at low level in the north and south walls.[1]

The north and south aisles feature variously sized and detailed two-lighted decorated gothic windows on their flank and end walls. The centre bay of the south aisle is occupied by the south porch. The windows in the chancel and the vestry on its south side are 19th-century.[1]

Interior

The interior of the narthex features remains of Norman arcading and a common rafter roof. The doorways through the east and west walls of the tower are perpendicular with the one on the west having carvings of a bishop and a king in the moulding over.[1]

The north and south sides of the nave are divided from the aisles on each side with early 13th-century arcades of three bays on short circular piers. The chancel arch is early perpendicular. The roofs of the nave is early 15th-century with moulded crown post trusses. The scissor braced roofs to the aisles are 13th-century. The chancel roof is thought to be 19th-century. The east ends of each aisle contain a piscina. The font is 19th-century on an early 15th-century base.[1]

Bells

There is a ring of six bells (tenor 10 long cwt 3 qr 10 lb; 1,214 lb or 551 kg in F sharp) hung in the English style for full circle ringing. [2]

Memorials and monuments
Part of churchyard, with monument to the Dunning family in centre (obelisk).

The church contains memorials to Sir Henry Wiat of Allington Castle (d. 1537, erected 1702), Richard Tomynn (d. 1576), George and Elizabeth Charlton (d. 1707 and d. 1750), Hannah Champneys (d. 1748), William Champneys (d. 1760) and Frances Champneys (d. 1800).[1]

The lychgate constructed in 1875 is listed separately as a Grade II listed structure.[3] The churchyard contains a large number of Grade II listed monuments and headstones.[4]

See also

References
  1. Historic England. "Church of St Mary and All Saints (1185730)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  2. Love, Dickon, "Boxley", Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent, retrieved 30 April 2012
  3. Historic England. "Lych Gate to Church of St Mary and All Saints, and Gates Attached (1185729)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  4. Historic England. "Head stone to wife Of Thomas Sell 4 yards south of south Vestry of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1086206)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Monument to John Richard Songen circa 1 yard south of Obelisk Monuments to Dunning Family in Churchyard of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1086207)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Headstone to Mrs Elizabeth Wise, circa 3 yards north west of Narthex of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1086208)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Head stone to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr John Wise adjacent to head stone to Mr John Wise at Church of St Mary and All Saints (1086209)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Table Tomb circa 2 yards south of Narthex of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1086246)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Monument to Best family circa 20 yards east of chancel of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1086247)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Table tomb 1/2 yard south of south aisle and east of porch of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1185732)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Monument to members of the Dunning family circa 4 1/2 yards south east of chancel of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1185733)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Head stone circa 3 1/2 yards south of south vestry of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1299558)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Table tomb to memory of Dr Robert Fowler 1/2 yard south of south vestry of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1299559)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Table tomb to Lushington family circa 9 yards east of chancel of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1336264)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Head stone to ?Sam Thawes 1/2 yard east of south porch of Church of St Mary and All Saints (1336265)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
    Historic England. "Head stone to Mr John Wise adjacent to tombstone to Mrs Elizabeth Wise at Church of St Mary and All Saints (1336266)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
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