One of the requirements of the Care of Churches and Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction Measure is that due regard should be given to the archaeology of churches. In order to ensure that every parochial church council of every medieval church has a report of its building, the Dioceses of Canterbury and Rochester, in 1991, jointly commissioned me to make a survey of these buildings.
The County of Kent has one of the most interesting collections of parish churches in England. These are all very different from each other and though one can follow general patterns, both chronologically and geographically, their variety is what makes a large new survey interesting. Altogether there were at least 436 parish churches in medieval Kent, as well as many other non-parochial chapels. At the Reformation, a few of the parish churches and many of the chapels were demolished. The vast majority of parish churches, however, continued in use, though there have been some later demolitions (and complete rebuildings) during the last three centuries. Since the mid-19th century, many new churches have also been built, particularly in the Rochester Diocese, but these are not being investigated in the present survey. At the same time, most sites have been thoroughly restored, and this process has not been fully studied. In recent years, several medieval churches have been made redundant (11 are now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust), and these have not yet been included in the survey. There are still many ruined churches in the county, some being casualties of the last war, and 18 of these in the Canterbury Diocese (as well as the sites of 11 other totally demolished churches) have already been briefly studied by the author.
About 353 pre-19th century churches are still in use in Kent (238 in the Canterbury Diocese and 115 in the Rochester Diocese) and it is these churches which are the subject of the present survey. (Altogether there are about 530 churches in use in the county, if the 19th and 20th century buildings are included). The present survey, which was started in 1991, is now about one-third completed and it is hoped that all churches will have been examined and reported on before the end of the decade. This is a much longer time-scale than originally proposed, due to changes in my professional and personal circumstances.
Each church is visited and the whole of the fabric (excluding fittings and monuments) is carefully studied. A report is then written which covers, chronologically, all the main stages of the building, as well as a briefer history of its restoration. Surprisingly, this has been done in detail in the past for comparatively few churches in Kent. Where there are good published surveys, my work is to go over these earlier surveys to check them, and then make a briefer report. An alphabetical index has been compiled of all reports on Kent churches (about 100 in all) in Archaeologia Cantiana (the journal of the Kent Archaeological Society), which is the greatest source for previous surveys. By far the best of these are those by the Revd. G. M. Livett, whose understanding of the history, geology, etc., of Kent's churches was unsurpassed. He was also an excellent draughtsman and surveyor and made very good measured plans, as well as some sections and elevations. 'Professionally' Livett was, first, Precentor of Rochester Cathedral, and then for many years the vicar of Wateringbury. Each main survey takes a minimum of one day to complete, and sometimes longer for more complicated buildings. If there is already an accurate measured plan of the church, this can greatly help the survey, and I have listed, and tried to copy, all known measured plans. All published documentary material relating to churches has been listed and used whenever possible. Most useful are Hasted's great History of Kent, Sir Stephen Glynne's notes, made before 19th century restorations (published posthumously in 1877), Testamenta Cantiana (Pre-Reformation evidence from wills), and many of the earlier church guides. It is a sad fact that the majority of guides found in churches today are of a low standard and rarely include a proper measured plan. There is also a very useful body of early illustrative material on Kent churches (particularly the Petrie drawings of the early 19th century, at Maidstone, which I have copied), and this has been listed. As well as this, I have listed all known measured plans, including those in the Archive of the Incorporated Church Building Society (at Lambeth Palace and a few at the Society of Antiquaries of London).
The surveys have confirmed that there is a broad development pattern in Kent's churches, though with many exceptions. This is, very briefly, a late 11th or early 12th century nave with one or often two aisles being added during the period of great population growth (12th to early 14th centuries). A small Norman sanctuary is almost invariably replaced by a larger chancel in the 13th century, and this is often flanked by one or two separate side chapels. Most of these are related to the neighbouring manor house, or court' lodge, and many of them later became chantry chapels and were then converted to manorial pews and burial chapels after the Reformation. There are quite often signs of the later 14th century depopulation of Kent in the churches, and only very few were totally rebuilt during the later Middle Ages. There were, however, some fine new building phases at this time, particularly in the Weald, and fine 15th century western towers were a common addition - earlier towers are more often on the sides of the churches. Rood screens and lofts were inserted into most churches in the years around 1500.
Before the present survey was instigated, I made a very detailed study of one church - Godmersham - and also made comparative studies of two groups of churches, in and around Canterbury, and in Romney Marsh. At the same time, I made a detailed study of the geology of Kent building stones, with my colleague, Bernard Worssam and all this provisional work has greatly assisted the present survey. I have also looked carefully at the evidence for surviving Anglo-Saxon churches in Kent, but there is a dearth of material due to the complete rebuilding of most of the churches in the late 11th century. The 11th century documentary evidence, before and after the Norman Conquest, is exceptionally good (particularly from Domesday Monachorum and Textus Roffensis) and I have tried to relate this to the earliest visible remains in a church, often quoins of Tufa (in West Kent) and Quarry stone (in East Kent). For the end of the Middle Ages, the documentary evidence, particularly from wills, is very good, and this has been related to particular features like towers, Rood-screens and lofts, new windows, etc. Mouldings and architectural details are also of increasing use, and some of this can be quite closely dated.
A great requirement for the future will be the making of accurate measured plans for the churches where they appear not to exist or have been lost. Sadly, almost all today's architects who carry out repairs and make quinquennial surveys are unable or unwilling to make measured plans of 'their' churches, or to study the historic fabric of the building, as so many of their predecessors did. One of the great needs of the 21st century will be a much wider education programme into all aspects of the architectural history of our parish churches. This can only be done in my opinion, by the present guardians of our churches, the churchwardens and parishioners. In the past, it was most naturally done by the incumbent.
Finally, I hope that, in the long term, these surveys can be published, and new plans and photographs can be made to go with them.
Tim Tatton-Brown May 1995
