KAS Committee Round-Up

KAS CHURCHES COMMITTEE New members sought

As the result of retirements, the committee is seeking new members from the areas in and around Ashford, Sevenoaks, south-east Kent and south-west Kent. We are also keen to have someone (or ones!) with a particular interest in church archaeology. We meet four times a year on Saturday mornings in Maidstone. If you think you may be interested in joining us, please get in touch with the chairman, Mary Berg, 5 Orchard St, Canterbury CT2 8AP (phone: 01227 450426 and email: maryberg@hotmail.co.uk) or make yourself known at future churches visits.

Visit to Hever and Edenbridge

The committee’s first churches visit of 2010 took place on a beautiful Spring afternoon on Saturday 24th April. The neighbouring churches of St Peter’s Hever and St Peter and St Paul’s Edenbridge are beautiful buildings with similar shingled spires, characteristic of this lovely area of Kent, and they have much to interest the visitor. Both churches are evidently well loved and cared for by their congregations.

The new committee chairman, Mrs Mary Berg, welcomed everyone, and the informative and entertaining talks were given by Mr Andrew Izaod, a former church warden at Hever, and the Rev Stephen Mitchell, incumbent of Edenbridge. St Peter’s Hever has a 14th century nave and 13th century north aisle, and was restored in 1894. The church has, of course, benefited from its association with the nearby castle, over the centuries. The Bullen Chapel was added around 1465, and contains the tomb of Ann Boleyn’s father, Sir Thomas Bullen, with a very fine brass. In the 20th century, the Astor family proved great benefactors of the church with many fine gifts, notably the beautiful Astor memorial stained glass window placed behind the altar in the Bullen Chapel in 1986.

St Peter and St Paul’s Edenbridge is also notable for its beautiful modern stained glass, in particular the Richard Mason memorial window, installed in the south aisle in 1998, and the west millennium window. Like Hever, Edenbridge has Norman if not Saxon origins, but the present building is largely of the 13th and 14th centuries. The south aisle with its eastern Martyn Chapel (itself a 15th century addition) is of similar proportions to the nave and chancel. The chancel is currently afflicted by death watch beetle and so the Martyn Chapel has been pressed into service as a substitute. This chapel contains a large and fine east window from the workshop of Burne-Jones, dating from 1909. Other important features in the church are the Norman font, the medieval parish chest and the 15th century nave roof.

An enjoyable afternoon concluded with tea, kindly provided at Edenbridge.

Paul Lee

KAS HISTORIC BUILDINGS COMMITTEE

The main focus of activity recently has been the arrangements for the Autumn Historic Buildings Conference to be held on Saturday, 9 October in Harrietsham Community Centre. See What’s On for more information.

Since the announcement in the last issue of the KAS Newsletter regarding the proposed sub-committee to focus on industrial archaeology, a number of people have expressed interest in becoming involved. It is not too late, though, for anyone else with a knowledge of, or interest in this neglected area of archaeology to join the group.

If you are interested, the Committee would very much welcome hearing from you.

Angela Davies