All Saints Church, Frindsbury TQ
744698
ROCHESTER DIOCESE: HISTORICAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Tim Tatton-Brown's Survey 1996
LOCATION:
Situated on the Upper Chalk at c.130 feet above O.D., this
church overlooks much of the Lower Medway valley from the North.
Rochester Cathedral is c.1 mile to the south, and Frindsbury
Manor House (or Court Lodge) and Great Barn, is ¼ mile to the
north-east, beyond the old parsonage and a large chalk pit. There is a
large ‘Common Green’ to the north-west of the church, now
partially . . . . . . . .
DESCRIPTION:
This church has unfortunately, suffered from an excessively heavy
restoration by J.L.Pearson in 1883, though it had also been badly
restored in c.1824, when all the original windows in the nave
and south aisle were destroyed and replaced by wretched new ones ‘to
quote Sir Stephen Glynne. He also tells us of a ‘hagioscope, now
closed.’ On the south side of the chancel arch, and ‘the
lychnoscope on each side of Perpendicular character, square-headed and
of two lights, and two similar windows nearer the east.’ (These are
the two low windows on the west side of the chancel-that on the north
was destroyed in 1883 for the organ chamber). Pearson’s restoration
added a completely new north aisle, as well as the
organ-chamber/vestry, and refaced the south aisle, added new
buttresses, and three new windows (a 4-light one in the east wall and
two 3-light ones in the east part of the south wall). He also added a
crenellated parapet to the top of the tower, made two new squints on
either side of the chancel arch, and unblocked the Norman windows in
the chancel, destroying the 4-light c. early 14th century east
window in the process, and restoring 3 ‘Norman’ windows, and a ‘wheel-window
above. A tall transomed window was added on the south side of the nave
at the west end. Luckily we have some useful views of the church in
the later 18th and early 19th centuries to help us reconstruct the
earlier form (i.e. before the 1824 restoration destroyed the medieaval
windows).
A church here is mentioned in Domesday Book (1086), but this building
was probably replaced in the 12th century by the present nave and
chancel. Only the Caenstone south-east quoins of the 12th century nave
and the round-headed chancel arch, in the nave’s east wall, are
visible parts of the original nave (even the abaci to the arch have
been restored), but the chancel is substantially the 12th century one,
despite the 19th century restorations. It had three round-headed
windows in its east wall (now restored), and the north side of the
north one and the south side of the south one are original. In the
centre was a fine 4-light traceried window, and when this was removed
in 1883, wall paintings were found on the inner splays. There were
also blocked round-headed windows on the north and south, and these
were reopened in 1883 revealing further remains of wall paintings
which were described by St. John Hope and drawn by P.M. Johnson at the
time (see Arch. Cant. Vols.15 + 16 below). Since then the
wall-paintings have been sadly neglected, and allowed to fall off.
One, however, was taken off and restored at the London Institute of
Archaeology, and replaced. The other fragments seem to have
disappeared. They probably date from the mid-13th century as Hope has
suggested.
In the chancel, a 13th century piscina within a 12th one was found in
the south wall. The large west tower, which is a noteable landmark in
the Lower Medway valley, was probably added to the west end of the
nave in the later 12th century. It is unbuttresses and has restored
side-alternate quoins, and tall north and south lancets in the belfry
stage. In the 14th century, a semi-octagonal stair-turret to the
belfry was added on the south side (It also has a south buttress). On
the north side is a large square corbel 18 feet above the ground. The
pointed west doorway is probably early 14th century and it has a
trefoil headed (with relieving arch) and rectangular window above.
There is a 14th century tower-arch with semi-octagonal responds. On
top of the tower is a probably 15th century timber brooch-spire
covered in shingles.
The 3 bay south aisle, which only extends three-quarters of the way
along the south side of the nave, was probably first built in the
early 14th century - there is a trefoil-headed piscina for the altar
(probably the Lady Chapel) at its east end. The south arcade has
octagonal piers, moulded capitals and double hollow-chamfered arches.
Originally it had a diagonal buttress on the south-east and one
centrally placed buttresses on the south (the scar for it is visible
below the 1883 window). These and the wall-face were removed in 1883,
and four new buttresses, as well as the new windows were put in. A new
parapet was also made above these, but on the west side of the south
aisle, a continuous course of Ragstone may mark the bottom of the
original parapet. The hollow-chamfered plinth below this is also
partly original. The side-alternate Ragstone quoins on the south-west
corner of the nave are also perhaps 14th century, as is the south
chancel doorway, and the restored south aisle doorway.
In the 15th century, a refenestration of much of the church took place
using 2-light Perpendicular windows under square-heads. In the nave,
they were all removed in the 19th century, but most still survive in
the chancel (without hoodmoulds) though restored in Bathstone. The
north and south windows on the west of the chancel (the so-called ‘Lychnoscopes’)
are at a very low level.
Wills of the 1470’s tell us a new Rood-screen and loft was being
made, but no trace of this survives. Hasted records that Richard
Young, bishop of Rochester (1407-18), ‘caused several windows to be
made in this church.’ And Lambarde recorded a depiction of this
bishop in one of the stained-glass windows. There is also a fine
octagonal font of the early 15th century (with the Rikhil arms on it)
at the west end of the south aisle.
Today this is a reordered (late 20th century) church, with much of the
fabric as rebuilt in 1883.
BUILDING MATERIALS: (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
The local building material is flint, and this was used with Caenstone
(and some tufa) quoins in the 12th century church. There are also some
reused Roman bricks in the north and south sides of the tower.
Ragstone is used for the medieval tower quoins, and there is a Rag
plinth on the west side of the south aisle. Ragstone, knapped flint
and sarsen is used for the later medieval rubble walls.
Portland stone was apparently used in the 1824 restoration (south
doorway), and Bathstone in the 1883 one.
EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: -
Fine monument in w. wall of south aisle to Thomas Butler (ob.1621) -
photo in guide.
CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Large rectangular area around church with19th
)century extension to north-west, and 20th century extension to
south-east (still in use).
Condition: Fair.
Maintained by parish and local authority (Local Authority maintain
N.W. extension only).
Boundary walls: 19th century walls (now decaying around old
churchyard)
Building in churchyard or on boundary: A cross in the churchyard is
recorded in 1535.
Ecological potential: Yes, but much vandalism in the area.
HISTORICAL RECORD (where known):
Earliest ref. to church: Domesday Book.
Evidence of pre-Norman status (DB, DM, TR, etc.): possible Minster
church as Strood, Aeslingeham and Thorndun are given as chapels of
Frindsbury in Textus Roffensis (all Arch.Cant.44(1932),85.)
Late med. status: Vicarage.
Patron: The Bishop of Rochester, then given to Rochester Cathedral
Priory (for the Almonry) early-mid 12th century, but returned to the
see in 1185, with the appropriation remaining with the monks. This was
removed, however, in 1256. See Reg. Roff., 66,133,528-9.
Other documentary sources: Test. Cant. (W. Kent 1906), 27
records: ‘To the making of the Rode loft’ (1471), and in 1474
money for making a new beam. Also ‘To be buried in our lady
chaunsell’ (1533), and burial in the churchyard ‘next the cross’
(1535).
Hasted III (1797) 540-6 records that ‘Richard Young, bishop of
Rochester (1407-18), caused several windows to be made in this church’
and Lambarde’s Perambulation (1570), p.328-332 records a
depiction of this bishop in one of the windows.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD:
Reused materials: Roman bricks in tower walls.
SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good.
Outside present church: Good , though ground level around church
lowered again, with drains in 1880s.
RECENT DISTURBANCES/ALTERATIONS:
To structure: Organ moved to east end of N. aisle in 1987, and
entrance to old organ chamber blocked. Also extreme S.W. window to
chancel blocked up.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
The church and churchyard: This church was very heavily restored in
1824 and 1883, but despite this quite a lot of the 12th century church
(Chancel + chancel arch) survives, with fragments of 13th century wall
paintings. Also a large western tower with late medieval brooch spire
on top. New north aisle, 1883.
REFERENCES: For wall-paintings, see W.H. St. John Hope + W.A.
Scott-Robertson in Arch.Cant.15 (1883), 331-2 and 16 (1886),
225-6. See Cecil Wade in Frindsbury, an Historical Review
(1975), 14-20. S.R. Glynne, Notes on the Churches of Kent
(1877), 335-6.
Guide Book: By Cecil Wade (1987, rev.1990) with poor copy of Rochester
Museum plan of the church (This guide is similar to Wade (1975) supra,
and has various inaccuracies in it.
Early Plans & drawings: View from S.E. by Petrie (early 19th
cent.) in Maidstone (K.A.S. Library) Also view from the north in 1786
by Fisher (at the Victoria + Albert Museum), and 2 views from the N.E.
before + after the 1820s restoration (dated 1803 + 1862), reproduced
in Wade supra(1975), 18.
DATES VISITED:
13/5/96
REPORTED BY: Tim Tatton-Brown