Committee Round Up
The Education Committee has gained some new members, the most recent recruits being Martin Crowther (Education Development Manager, Canterbury Museums) and Abby Guinness (Community Archaeologist, Surrey County Council and Canterbury YAC leader) who came to their first committee meeting to hear about the scope of the committee and discussions for its future role. Currently, members are all busy with various projects; Kent’s two Young Archaeologist Clubs with their full monthly programmes, Thanet Trust for Archaeology with its project to develop resources from artefacts in store for Thanet communities along with other planned events and Canterbury Archaeological Trust, particularly with its ‘Boat 1550 BC’ European project (based on the Dover Bronze Age boat) and ‘Folkestone, A Town Unearthed’, now in its final year.
Outing to Tonbridge
If, like me, you had consulted your Pevsner before setting off on a wet and windy Saturday in April (what else) to visit Tonbridge School Chapel, you would have been in for a surprise. At first sight of the red-brick and sandstone exterior, with its statue of the chapel patron, St Augustine of Canterbury, blessing the cricket pitch, Pevsner’s description still stands, though some may have spotted the dark marks on the facade which tell of the 1988 fire which destroyed the original 1900-02 building by Campbell-Jones.
A war memorial sculpture of St George and three angels greets the visitor. In a foyer the school archivist had mounted a display illustrating the original building. This showed how completely the building was destroyed by the fire, which our knowledgeable guide, John Smallbone-Smith, called ‘the best thing that ever happened to the chapel’! Many of us were inclined to agree with him. Instead of a dark Edwardian chapel reminiscent of Southbridge school’s pitch pine and Munich windows (Angela Thirkell’s Barsetshire school), the chapel opens up as one emerges from underneath its world class Danish-built organ into a light and airy space of beautifully panelled oak and tinted windows with the seating arranged collegially across the central aisle. The east end is open with a painted baldachin over the modern metal altar and a window containing Kempe glass which has been collected from various other places.
The architect was Donald Buttress, who has worked at Westminster and Chichester. The Chapel serves a school population of 1,000 and is used daily as well as for ‘occasional offices’ of baptisms and marriages. The Lady Chapel contains a mother and child statue by Peter Hill. Much of the work was carried out by local workmen and the modern features have been made attractive as well as functional. The directional loudspeakers have been very successfully integrated into the walls above the seating by covering them with what looks like a fine mesh which blends into the colour of the walls. The original roof had been barrel vaulted, but the new one (64' high) is the traditional shape of praying hands. The cost of rebuilding this chapel was £7,000,000, but for once one can truthfully say it was money well spent. Our next port of call was the parish church of Tonbridge, where the first boys of Tonbridge School would have worshipped. Toby Huitson describes this visit.
Tonbridge was once the largest parish in Kent. The church of Sts. Peter and Paul occupies a probable Anglo-Saxon site, and there is some evidence of Romanesque masonry in the chancel. The building was extended westwards in the thirteenth century, and the north aisle pillars show an interesting random polychrome effect using green and white stone. The mid-fifteenth century was a time of prosperity, attested to by wills for painting statuary and the installation of a rood loft, of which both no traces now remain. By 1663 there was a west gallery for use of the school. Such was the demand for space to accommodate the pupils that an additional south aisle was constructed in the late nineteenth century, a space enclosed in 1983 to create a separate meeting area. The present appearance of the church owes much to the work of Ewan Christian in the 1870s, and the colourful east window was installed in 1956.
by Gill Wyatt and Toby Huitson
Gratitude is expressed to Mrs Pat Mortlock for the informative talk, and to the church for the tea and cake served afterwards.
CHURCHES COMMITTEE
Study day - ‘The Oxford Movement and its Legacy’.
On 14th April about 50 members and local residents assembled in Holy Trinity Church, Sandgate Road, Folkestone, a church built by the landowner, Lord Radnor, for the Anglo-Catholic mission. The meeting was opened by the Rector, Canon Charles Taylor, who spoke about the significance of the Oxford Movement for the Church of England, focusing on the liturgical and social changes it brought about.
During the morning session, we heard presentations from Dr Nigel Yates, who explored the historical context of the Oxford Movement and its impact on the Church of England, and from Dr Judith Champ, who discussed the architectural and artistic legacy of the movement, with a particular focus on church restoration and design. The afternoon session included a visit to St Peter's Church, another local example of Oxford Movement architecture, where we examined the unique features and design elements that were influenced by the movement.
Overall, the study day provided a comprehensive understanding of the Oxford Movement and its lasting influence on the Church of England, both historically and architecturally.
growing population as the town expanded westwards; it was designed by Ewan Christian, consultant to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. After a welcome by Mary Berg, Hilary Talpott explained how ‘filthy, fishy Folkestone’ grew into a fashionable resort in the 19th century, largely due to the coming of the railway and the popularity of its healthy site and amenities. Sheila Sweetinburgh, one of the organisers, gave a detailed and intriguing exposition by 13th century William Durandus of the medieval symbolism of all parts of a church building.
It was the publication of a translation of the first book (out of eight) of his ‘Rationale’ by the Camden Society which influenced the Oxford movement as churches were restored and new ones built in expanding Victorian towns.
The main lecture was given by Dr Michael Chandler, former Dean of Ely and former Canon Treasurer at Canterbury Cathedral. He dealt with the 18th century background of the evangelical revival and the storm over Roman Catholic Emancipation in 1829 and the threat to the Church of England posed by the Whig reforms after the 1832 Reform Act. The Oxford Movement grew out of John Keble’s Assize Sermon on ‘national apostacy’ in 1833 and the series of ‘Tracts for the Times’, started by John Henry Newman. These were widely circulated giving rise to the alternative name of Tractarianism. Other authors contributed pamphlets on associated theological subjects. The main issue was whether the state should have authority over the church without the church’s approval; controversy dominated the church, the Tractarians being accused of seeking to introduce popery into the Church of England. After Newman’s Tract XC in 1841 the bishop of Oxford banned further pamphlets. Four years later Newman was converted to Roman Catholicism and the informal leader Dr Pusey, Professor of Hebrew, was silenced by the university authorities at Oxford when he preached a controversial sermon in 1843. Nevertheless, the movement continued, having an important influence on parish life outside Oxford. Dean Chandler then outlined some of the notable court cases of the period. These related to the spread of ritualism which provoked a backlash and the imprisonment of some clergy convicted of breaking the law.
After lunch members were divided into three groups which rotated between workshops on documents illustrating the Oxford Movement in a Kentish parish, documents connected with the introduction of ritualism at Holy Trinity, and a study of symbolism in Holy Trinity guided by Imogen Corrigan. The day ended with a general discussion and thanks to the organisers.
by Lawrence Lyle