All Saints Church, Birchington

LOCATION: Situated at about 25 ft above O.D. in the N.W. part of the Isle of Thanet at the centre of a 19th/20th century large village (or town). The sea is ¾ mile to the N, and until the 1860s the church was on an open site with views out to sea to the north and west.

DESCRIPTION: Unfortunately the whole of the outside of the church was very heavily restored and refaced in 1863-4 by C.N. Beazley. All the three Perpendicular east windows were replaced by new windows in a different "late 13th century" style. The west window and doorway were also completely renewed, as were the four 2-light windows in each of the north and south aisles.
   The earliest fabric remains are probably the lower outer aisle walls, and the south doorway, which probably date from the later 12th century. The population was already rising fast in Thanet at this time (cf. the nearby church at Shuart - now demolished - which also had a 5-bayed aisle/nave by the 12th century). The doorway on the south, though completely restored, still has two late 12th century capitals. The outer aisle wall on the south-west contains some reused Rag and Caen blocks in its upper face, including two blocks which may be the tops of earlier Norman windows from the unaisled nave.
   In the earlier 13th century a new chancel was built with, at the same time, flanking chapels and a tower. All this work is with square piers with simple chamfers and bar-stops. The chapel on the south, which was apparently dedicated to St. Margaret, had its western part under the tower. There is a large simple lancet here (in the south wall of the tower, and now used for the access-stair to the tower from the 1911 vestry). The tower also has two stages of lancet windows above. All the original jambs and quoins are in Caenstone.
The chapel on the north, which was dedicated to Our Lady is also contemporary with the new chancel and has an upper lancet in its west wall (above the north aisle roof). It later became the Crispe and Quex chapel. The font on 5 pillars was also made in the 13th century, and has been removed from the centre of the western part of the nave to the N. side. There is a fine medieval (probably 14th century) timber frame for the spire. It is a four post structure (with cross-bracing) like Wingham spire.
   In the mid-14th century, and confirmed by a now missing contract of 1343 'to erect 3 columns and four arches of a south aisle after the design of the north arcade at St. Nicholas-at-Wade' (quoted in Coles and A.T. Walker's church guides), new south and north arcades were put into the nave. Also a new chancel arch. The western pier in the south arcade was larger, and was clearly meant to support the north-east corner of a new south-west tower. This was never completed, perhaps because of the Black Death. Nor were the aisle walls rebuilt, and the nave and aisles still remain under one large roof. The south-west tower was perhaps meant to follow the new S.W. tower at nearby St. Nicholas-at-Wade. The 14th century north doorway also survives, though blocked in 1863.
   Virtually all later medieval features have now been removed from the church (including the three eastern Perpendicular windows mentioned above). There is, however, the base of a rood-screen under the chancel arch which still has some original paint on it. The panels were taken out, and 'rediscovered' in the barn south of the church in 1913. (A will of 1500 mentions the making of a new Rood loft), as well as several late Medieval brasses. Another will tells us that Richard Queke left, 10 marcs in 1459 'for making a window with the glass belonging to it in the chancel of the Blessed Virgin Mary.' There was a little ancient glass in this chapel in Hasted's time, but the two north windows were blocked in the 17th and 18th century when monuments were put on the wall, and the east window was swept away in 1863.
The hexagonal pulpit on a carved stem, and with carved traceried tops to the panelling, may also be in part medieval.
   From 1752 until 1863, there was a large west gallery. The west door was blocked at this time. Also a family pew in the south-west corner of the Quex chapel, and the usual high box pews. The south-east chapel became a pair of vestries.
   As we have seen a very major restoration was carried out in 1863-4, when the outside of the building was refaced, and all the roofs were renewed. This was done under C.N. Beazley. The church was also refloored and repewed. All the masonry was in Bathstone, which was brought in by the new railway. Later, new stained glass windows were put in (1837+), and a reredos (1883).
   The new vestries were made on the south-east in 1910-11, and the chapel was restored here, and an organ put in.
   The north chapel is still owned by the owners of Quex Park, and they are responsible for the monuments, etc. (though there is also a Powell-Cotton Mausoleum under the Waterloo Tower at Quex Park).

BUILDING MATERIALS: (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.): Caen stone and flint pebble for the earlier (12th/13th century) work, with Ragstone being used for the new 14th century arcades and N. doorway.
   The major restoration of 1863-4 uses heavy knapped flint and much Bathstone. Some original paint survives on the Rood screen base (see above). The chancel walls were given painted decoration during the 1863 restoration. These were, however, covered over in 1968.

EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: Some fine later medieval and Tudor brasses survive, as well as some fine and unusual monuments in the Quex chapel to the Crispes and Ann Powle (1744). The brass to John Heynes (Vicar of Monkton - ob. 9 Oct. 1523) was originally on an indent over his grave in the centre of the chancel. It was moved when the chancel floor was raised in 1863.

CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Large rectangular area, with major late 19th cent. extensions on S. + W.

Condition: Good

Boundary walls: There was a flint boundary wall around the churchyard by c. 1835. A flint section was renewed after a fall in the great storm of 1987.

Earthworks: within: - terracing down to graveyard extensions.

Building in churchyard or on boundary: Lych gate to N.E. There was formerly a 'Wax House' to the north of the church, but it was pulled down in the 18th cent. (see Hasted op. cit., 308).

There also seems to have been a house here for the curate (minster-in-charge), which also came down in the 18th century. The 19th century mortuary-house on the north side was demolished in c. 1970.

Exceptional monuments: Monument to D.G. Rossetti, near S. porch.

HISTORICAL RECORD (where known):
Earliest ref. to church: ? Late 13th cent.

Evidence of pre-Norman status (DB, DM, TR etc.): -

Late med. status: Vicarage of Monkton + 2 chapels: (Birchington & Woodchurch or Acol). From 1356 the vicar of Monkton had to maintain priests at Birchington + Woodchurch, and curates were found.

Chapel to Monkton till 1871 with curate, then Vicarage.

Patron: Christ Church Priory, Canterbury, then Dean + Chapter.

Other documentary sources: John Crisp left 66s. 8d. (1500) 'to the making of a new Rood loft.' Richard Queke left 10 marcs in 1459 for making a window with the glass belonging to it in the chancel of the Blessed Virgin Mary - Test. Cant. (E. Kent, 1907), 22. See also C.R. Councer, Lost Glass from Kent Churches (1980), 12.
Hasted X (1800), 306-310.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD:
Reused materials: In upper part of S. aisle wall

SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good

Outside present church: Good, but with narrow drainage trenches outside N. + S. aisles.

RECENT DISTURBANCES\ALTERATIONS:
To structure: S. Piscina put into S. Chapel wall, 1984 and front pews removed in 1968. Font moved to near N. doorway, 1990.

To floors: When the 2 pews were removed from the centre cross-aisle in 1984, the floor beneath was relaid with quarry tiles.

To graveyard: Walled 'Garden of Remembrance' constructed c. 1970 at top of bank to south.

Quinquennial inspection (date\architect): March 1992/Peter Marsh

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
The church and churchyard: This was a major chapel to Monkton dating from at least the 12th century, when it already had aisles. The chancel was rebuilt in the earlier 13th century, when chapels were added to the north and south, and a tower was built. The nave arcades were rebuilt in the 1340s, and a new south-west tower was planned but never completed. There is a fine collection of monuments in the Quex (north-east) chapel.

The wider context: One of a group of "chapels" (really parish churches) in the Isle of Thanet attached to the major churches. Compare Minster (with Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate) and Reculver (with Herne, Hoath, St Nicholas-at-Wade, and Shuart).

REFERENCES:
Guide Book: By A. T. Walker (1967 and 2nd Revised ed. 1976), and by J.M. Burgess (1993). Also 1913 guide by Serres, and 1945 (reprinted 1950) guide by C.A.G. Coles.

Plans & early drawings: View from E.N.E. in 1808 by H. Petrie, showing open surroundings.

DATE VISITED: 24th August 1993 & 11th October 1993                   REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown