St Margaret Church, Horsmonden

LOCATION: Situated at c. 170 feet above O.D. in the High Weald on a south-east facing slope ½ mile west of the river Teise. The early Post-Medieval village is c. 1½ miles to the north (near the iron furnace), on the edge of Horsemonden Heath.

DESCRIPTION: This fine church has undergone two major restorations : that by T H Wyatt in 1867, and more unusually in the late 17th century. As a result of this, the sequence of the medieval work has been obscured, particularly in the chancel and north aisle area.

There is no sign of an earlier church here, and the start of work on the present building must have been in the early 14th century. Despite the late 17th century rebuilding, it is clear that the chancel was built in the early 14th century with two exceptionally large and wide lancets on either side of the east end. Below the southern lancet (which has a rere-arch) is an ogeed piscina, and just to the west are the remains of a very fine decorated tomb recess (its western part is completely rebuilt), which must once have contained the fine brass of Henry de Grofhurst, who was Rector here from 1311-61, and was responsible for the rebuilding of the church. His brass is now under a carpet in the centre of the chancel floor. The restored east window is in an early Perpendicular style, and in the north wall of the chancel, there is also a two-light window with reticulated tracery. There is another window with reticulated tracery at the west end of the north aisle. It is also clear that when the church was built a chantry (for de Grofhurst) was also erected on its south side with a two-bay arcade, even though the documentary evidence suggests that this was on the north. The rest of the south chapel was rebuilt in the mid-15th century, except for the three-light east window, which is early Perpendicular, and seems to have Ragstone tracery.

Not long after the chancel was (re)built, the nave and aisles were erected. Stylistically the south arcade, with its two flat chamfers to the arches, is earlier. The northern arcade has an inner hollow-chamfer. However, in other ways the three-bay arcades are very similar, both have a round western column and an octagonal eastern one, and they are both likely to have been built before the Black Death. Except for the west wall (and possibly the blank east wall) of the north aisle, the other walls of both aisles were totally rebuilt at a later date.

In 1455 it is documented that the bishop summoned all the people holding land in the parish to a meeting about the repair of the south side of the church, and there can be no doubt that the present south aisle and chapel date from not long after this. The whole of the south aisle wall, and the south wall of the south chapel, is of uniform masonry on a plinth with a concave chamfer. The fine two-light windows (and three-light in the south chapel) all have depressed heads, Perpendicular tracery, and moulded concave reveals to the windows. There are also, most unusually, two small stair-turrets in the south wall. The eastern one was presumably for access to the Rood loft, and there is part of an opening just opposite it, in the south-east corner of the nave (now mostly blocked - perhaps in the 17th century rebuilding). The western stair turret perhaps lead to another loft over a screen in another south aisle chapel. There is a piscina at the eastern end of the south aisle with, just beyond it, a fine screen (below the Rood loft), inscribed at the top : [Or]ate pro bono statu Alecie Campson.

Also in the later 15th century, the nave walls were heightened, and given a clerestory with four three-light windows (restored) on each side. Above is a slender three-bay crown-post roof on moulded tie-beams and wall plates. The chancel roof is a plain collar-and-rafter affair which has racked to the east.

The fine west tower with its moulded (and battered) plinth and large diagonal buttresses was also probably built in the later 15th century, perhaps after the south aisle. It has a very tall tower arch (with an 18th century west gallery in it till 1867), and an octagonal stair-turret on the south-east. Its west doorway is a large moulded affair, with square hood-mould over spandrels containing carved shields with the arms of Poynings and Fitzpaine on them. The label stops also have angels holding shields. Above is a three-light Late Perpendicular west window with moulded concave reveals. The top of the tower has a bell-chamber with square two-light windows, and above a crenellated parapet. The slightly higher octagonal turret-top is also crenellated with a small stone spire on it. There is also a fine later 15th century timber-framed north porch with its original outer doors and barge-boards.

In the later 17th century, under the Rector, Stephen Bate (1673-1724), the church was restored. Work was completed in 1703, when the fine nave candelabrum was installed. This now shows most clearly in the chancel, where much of the squared masonry, with its distinctive chase-tooling, is visible. New east gables on brackets, and with moulded copings, were built for the nave and chancel, and the chancel arch was partly rebuilt. The north door to the chancel has a plaque above it, dated 1676.

The final major restoration was in 1867 under T H Wyatt when the whole of the north aisle was rebuilt (also with distinctive neatly tooled blocks), and a vestry added. Both aisle roofs were renewed, and all the roofs were covered in slate. The inside of the church was refurnished. The 15th century timber north porch was given a new plinth and side boarding.

BUILDING MATERIALS (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
Virtually all the masonry is of the local form of Tunbridge Wells sandstone, cut in squared blocks. There seems, however, to be Ragstone tracery in the east window of the south aisle. The different phases of squared masonry can be easily distinguished by the different types of tooling.

EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH: Very fine Henry de Grofhurst brass in chancel of c. 1340-60 (He died in 1361). Also monument (and bust) of John Read in south aisle (1847). Also an unusual iron grave slab at the east end of the nave.

CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Rectangular area around church, small east extension, and very large extension down hill to south

Conditions: Good

Building in churchyard or on boundary: Horse-mounting block to north.

Exceptional monument: Some good tombs and gravestones around church.

Ecological potential: Yes - various trees - holly, beech, yew - in and around churchyard.

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

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

Late med. status : rectory

Patron: The manor of Horsemonden

Other documentary sources: Hasted V (1798), 320-2.
Test. Cant. (West Kent, 1906), 41-2: `To the gilding of ye Rood' (1532).
Kent Chantries (Kent Records Vol. XII) pt. 2 (1934), 157-160 (ed. A Hussey) records the founding in 1333-4 of a chantry of St Mary, built on the north side of the church.

SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good, but a few burial vaults.

Outside present church: ? Good

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
The church and churchyard: A very fine `High Weald' church, which was rebuilt in the first half of the 14th century with nave and aisles, chancel and south chapel. The south aisle was rebuilt in the later 15th century, and then a large west tower was added, as well as a clerestory to the nave. The chancel was rebuilt in the late 17th century and the north aisle in 1867, when the whole church was restored.

The wider context: One of a group of churches with distinctive high-quality squared masonry of various phases.

REFERENCES: S Glynne, Churches of Kent (1877), 284-5. He visited before the 1867 restoration. A Cronk, St Margaret's Church, Horsmonden (1967) A Cronk, A Wealden Rector (1975)

Guide book: Good leaflet by M.G.M.S. (1981)

Plans and drawings: Petrie view from SE in 1806.

DATE VISITED:  1990's              Report by Tim Tatton-Brown