marriage service was discontinued, and the First Prayer Book of Edward VI (1549) pointedly directs that ‘At the daye appointed for Solemnizacion of Matrimonie, the persones to be maried shal come into the bodie of ye churche, with theyr frendes and neighbours. And there the priest shal thus saye./Deerely beloued frendes, we are gathered together here in the syght of God . . .‘, etc.’¹⁷

DISCUSSION
The three porches here discussed are of the open type, clearly pre-Reformation in date, and of box-frame construction. But there are important differences, both in constructional details and in size, although all are larger than the ‘standard’ size of about 8 ft. sq.;’¹⁸  Fawkham (Fig. 5) and Kemsing (Fig. 4) measure approximately 10 ft. by 11ft., whilst Shoreham (Fig. 3) measures approximately 12 ft. sq. and belongs — both in this matter of size and in its carpentry — with the grander porches of High Halden and Hastingleigh or with Boxford, Suffolk,’¹⁹  or Little Hadham, Herts.²⁰  Surprisingly, perhaps, the largest porch, at Shoreham, is of only one bay, whilst the smaller structure at Kemsing is of two unequal bays; Fawkham is a one-bay structure.

   The side walls at Kemsing have been over-restored, but the present arrangement probably reflects, in a general way at least, the original design. Those at Shoreham are better preserved. Both have a mid-rail, but whereas Kemsing was apparently divided into quite wide openings above the rail, Shoreham has much narrower openings. At Kemsing, too, they are quite plain with no evidence of original arch-heads, whilst at Shoreham head-boards with arches cut from them are employed, these, together with chamfered mullions, making up rectangular four-light ‘Perpendicular’ windows (Fig. 6). The sub-arcs and the top-light heads are all cusped. The side walls at
  ¹⁷  Available in (Ed.) D. Harrison, The first and second Prayer Books of Edward VI, London, 1968 (replacing ed. by E.C.S. Gibson, 1910, with same pagination), 252: ‘The Forme of Soleminizacion of Matrimonie’, third rubric; the Second Prayer Book (1552) keeps these words, with slight variations of spelling: Harrison, 1968, 410; and they also occur with some addition and modification of spelling in the present Book of Common Prayer.
  ¹⁸  Rigold, 1975, 132. In the discussion which follows only the more significant differences between the porches will be noted. Minor differences will be apparent from the individual descriptions (infra) and from the illustrations.
  ¹⁹  Munro Cautley, 1982, 59 and P1. 42; the porch is distinguished by its wooden vaulting.
  ²⁰   Smith, 1976, 30-3.