St Michael's Church - High Street, Sittingbourne, Kent, UK
N 51° 20.365 E 000° 44.397
31U E 342581 N 5689995
The Grade II* listed church of St Michael, with origins in the 11th century, is located at the bottom end of Sittingbourne High Street.
Waymark Code: WM15PGK
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/04/2022
Views: 0
The
Kent Past website
tells gives a brief overview of the history of St Michael's:
Sittingbourne parish church is a
Grade II* listed building, dedicated to Saint Michael and All
Angels. The
Normans built the church in the 11th century, with rebuilding in
the 14th century, and the tower constructed in the next 100
years. During roof repairs in July 1762, a fire broke out,
leaving only the walls and tower standing. The architect George
Dacre Senior undertook the restoration, which took almost five
years to complete. In 1798, Edward Hasted described St Michael’s
church as a ‘large, handsome building, of three isles and two
chancels, and two cross ones; at the west end is a tower beacon
steeple, in which is a clock, a set of chimes, and six bells’.
In the 19th century, they sectioned off the transept and Lady
Chapel from the rest of the church, and used them as a school.
During the period, 1859 to 1887 Slater and Carpenter carried out
a renovation programme. Further substantial restoration work
took place in the 1960’s.
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As mentioned, the
church is Grade II* listed with the entry at the
Historic England website advising:
Church of C11 origins with a
major building campaign in the C13, and C14. Further works,
including the completion of the west tower, in the C15.
Subsequent alterations and additions, principally the
restoration by George Dance Senior after a serious fire in 1762
and Victorian restorations by Slater and Carpenter between 1859
and 1887.
MATERIALS: Principally Kentish ragstone and knapped flint with
pitched tiled roofs.
PLAN: Aisled nave with south transept; west tower; south porch;
chancel built over a crypt with a north chapel/vestry and south
chapel.
EXTERIOR: Principal elevation to the south onto the High Street:
Handsome west tower begun in the late C13 and completed in the
C15. A robust structure of four storeys, stepped
angle-buttresses, external semi-circular stair tower to the
south rising to a polygonal turret above the roof parapet. South
aisle also with a parapet and stepped angled and intermediate
buttresses, of late C13 or early C14 date. Main entrance through
south porch: flat roof with parapet, diagonal buttresses,
vaulted roof to interior and anthropomorphic stops to arched
entrance. Transept has very large Perpendicular south window.
Flint work here is of a different form being large, roughly
knapped flints. South chapel is of circa 1300 with Perpendicular
alterations. Canopied niche on the south-east buttress is
recorded as housing a statue of St Mary (no longer in situ).
Large east windows to south chapel and chancel. Window tracery
in the main reinstated during Victorian restorations.
INTERIOR: East half of the chancel appears the oldest fabric:
two blind lancets (originally external) in north wall set under
two large blank arches. Two similar but wider C13 arches on the
south side, later pierced to provide access to the south chapel
and restored in C19. Western arches on north side of chancel are
late C13. Crypt beneath chancel with quadripartite rib-vault
with chamfered ribs. West wall blocking prevents access to
remainder. South chapel and its original south window date it to
circa 1300. Impressive Perpendicular window to transept. Nave
arcades of three wide arches on alternating octagonal and round
piers. Corbels with a mixture of finely carved heads and cruder
examples of anthropomorphic and zoomorphic forms at the junction
of the nave and the south transept/aisle. Barrel vaulted nave
roof divided into panels by exposed ribs. Boarded aisle roofs
divided into panels by ribs; also exposed timbers in chancel
roof. Nave, chancel and aisle roofs were all constructed in late
C18 restoration after fire destroyed the medieval roofs but have
undoubtedly been restored since. West tower has ringing and bell
chambers.
FIXTURES AND FITTINGS: Reredos of 1860 by Slater with central
panel decorated with an embossed Greek cross flanked by paired
stone recesses with slender columns and trefoil heads framing
images of angels on a gilded ground. Good east window of 1860 by
Clayton & Bell depicting the Last Supper. Organ by William Hill
& Son, London, installed in 1881 in north of chancel and
reconstructed and enlarged in 1928. Replaced an organ of 1822 in
the west gallery (which no longer survives). Monument in north
aisle of reclining shrouded female with swaddled baby under a
segmental recess, much worn but appears early or mid C15. Good
quality octagonal font, probably early C15, decorated with coats
of arms. Other glass: one north window designed by Kent
ecclesiologist, Dr Grayling, incorporating old glass. South
aisle west window of 1844 by Willement. Other glass by Clayton
and Bell and Willement. First World War and Second World War
Memorial Windows and window commemorating the coronation of
Queen Elizabeth II in south transept. Peal of eight bells: six
dating to 1687, a further late C17 bell was recast in the late
C19 and remainder are late C19.
ANCILLARY FEATURES: Churchyard wall and gate piers, also in
knapped flint with stone dressings. Gate piers rise from
plinths, are square in section and have pyramidal caps with
gables on each face.
HISTORY:
There was a church on this site from the C11 but there is no
architectural evidence which can be confidently ascribed to this
date although it is clear that elements of the chancel exhibit
the earliest surviving fabric.
It is in the C13 that the present
St Michael's truly begins to take form and was largely complete
by the late C14 with the completion of the tower attributable to
the C15. The building was gutted by fire in July 1762, caused
during repairs to the lead roof which was destroyed leaving only
the bare walls of the church although the tower escaped the
destruction.
The restoration was overseen by
the architect George Dacre Senior (who took out most of the
tracery) and was completed in 1767. The south transept and Lady
Chapel were used as a school in the early C19 and were
partitioned off from the main church with access through the now
blocked round-headed door in the west wall.
The church was also subject to
Victorian restoration by Slater and Carpenter between 1859 and
1887. The bells were re-hung in a new frame in 1896.
C20 alterations include the
addition of a First World War memorial window in the south
transept in 1920. The building was extensively restored in the
1960s. St Michael's is a sister church to St Mary's
Sittingbourne which is of early C20 date.
REASON FOR DESIGNATION DECISION St Michael's Church
Sittingbourne is listed at Grade II* for the following principal
reasons:
-
The significant extent of
surviving medieval fabric
-
Architectural details of
interest including: carved stone heads to the exterior and
interior, a C15 font and tomb, and good stained glass
(particularly the Victorian east window of the Last Supper
and a memorial window to the First World War in the south
transept).
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Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1050
Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source
If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Anglican
If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Sunday
Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 10:00 AM
Street address of Church: High Street Sittingbourne, Kent United Kingdom
Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link]
If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: Not listed
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