Plaxtol Parish Church, no
dedication
TQ 6020 5363
ROCHESTER DIOCESE: HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Tim Tatton-Brown's Survey 1995
LOCATION: Situated at about 370ft. above O.D.
nearly on top of the Hythe Beds scarp. It is in the middle of an area
of post-medieval housing and small irregular fields, with the large
house and park of Fairlawne just to the south-west.
DESCRIPTION: A chapel is recorded on this site from at least the 15th
century, but little is known about it. It is described as an old and
ruinous chapel within the borough of Hale in 1637 (in Archbishop
Laud's Register), and it is probable that the south doorway of the
present church comes from this chapel.
The present church was built in 1649, as the plaque above the south
doorway records. it reads: THIS CHURC/H WAS BYLT/ FOR THE WO/RSHIP OF
GOD/ AN DO 1649. This church is shown in Petrie's 1806 view from the
north-east. It has a west tower, with the large western bay of the
nave containing north and south doorways and high-up 3-light windows.
East of this are two bays with triple windows with cusped lights. Then
a continuous chancel with blank north wall, and three-light east
window. The east and west ends of the church, and the tower all have
diagonal buttresses. Inside much of the fine original hammer-beam roof
(with wind-braces) still survives, now sitting on curious masonry
wall-shafts with capitals. The tower was perhaps not finished until
1654.
This church was extended to the east and repewed in 1852, getting a
grant of £60 from the I.C.B.S. for increasing the seating to 131.
This was carried out under the Revd. R Mayo, as the east wall
inscription tells us. The interior of this church, with a western
organ gallery, is shown in two photographs displayed in the church.
Then in 1894 the church was completely restored and enlarged on the
east at the expense of W. M. Cazalet, Esq. of Fairlawn (inscription on
east wall). All the window tracery was altered (except the west window
in the tower), and north and south transepts were added (the former
for the organ and a vestry), and a new short, wide chancel. This
chancel was `erected as a memorial to Lieut. Max D D Dalison, who was
killed in the Soudan 1885'. This has erroneously been taken (by John
Newman, B.O.E.) to be the date of the new chancel, rather than just
the date of Dalison's death. The top of the tower was also rebuilt at
this time with renewed crenellated parapets, and new porches were
added on the north and south. The whole of the enlarged eastern end is
built on a crypt area, as the ground drops away steeply to the east,
with a boiler house on the north-east, near an old pump. Steps lead up
to the 1894 south transept (`Lady Chapel') south door.
Some of the 19th century stained glass was destroyed in 1940 and
replaced by plain glass.
BUILDING MATERIALS (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
The church was heavily restored (and rebuilt) in the late 19th century
with much external galleted Ragstone masonry visible. All the windows
are of Bathstone of this date, though there is a little of the
original Ragstone dressings in the tower (west window), as well as a
few older quoins of Tunbridge Wells Sandstone (probably also mid-17th
century).
EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: Wall-monument to Thomas Dalyson (ob.
1741).
CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Irregular area to the north of the church (and very
small area to the south and west of the church). It has huge later
extensions to the north-west and north again of this.
Condition: Good.
Boundary walls: Ragstone walls to the south.
Building in churchyard or on boundary: None, but the old village pound
was on the north.
Exceptional monuments: Some good early gravestones of an early 18th
century date.
Ecological potential: Yes.
HISTORICAL RECORD (where known):
Earliest ref. to church: 1649, though a chapel there from at least the
15th century.
Evidence of pre-Norman status (DB, DM, TR etc): -
Late med. status: Chapelry to Wrotham, until 1647-60 when it became a
parish. Then reverted to chapelry 1660-1844.
Patron: None, as it was part of Wrotham parish until 1844, which was
under the patronage of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Other documentary sources: Hasted V (1798), 24-6.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD
Reused materials: 15th century with doorway (?from earlier chapel),
and also two 17th century gravestones built into an eastern buttress.
SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: Probably good, except where cut away by crypt
at east end, which is mostly beyond the earlier church. Remains of the
15th century or earlier church should underlie the present nave.
Outside present church: Good except on the east.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
The church and churchyard: A rare example of a Commonwealth period
church (of 1649), though unfortunately the walls were very heavily
restored and enlarged in the late 19th century, with a new eastern
arm. A very fine hammer-beamed and wind-braced roof does, however,
survive from the 1649 church.
The wider context: One of only a very small number of new 17th century
churches in Kent (Groombridge, 1625, and Tunbridge Wells, King
Charles-the-Martyr, 1678 are the others).
REFERENCES: Post-graduate diploma study (unpublished) by Paul Dadson
(copy with Mrs M Lewis) - for first year dissertation (1988) at the
Architectural Association. This is a most useful study with plans,
early views and full documentation of the 19th century changes.
Guide book: Useful short history/guide (undated, but recent) by Mrs
Mary Lewis.
Photographs: Two 1889 interior views of the church (before
extensions), looking east and west, displayed on W. wall of church.
Plans and drawings: 1852 plan for reseating in I.C.B.S. Petrie view
from N.E. in 1806.
DATE VISITED:
5/6/95
REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown