St Mary Church, Stone next Dartford

LOCATION: Situated at c. 75 ft. above O.D. on the natural chalk in a prominent position on the hillside overlooking the Thames (Long Reach). The land falls away to the marshes to the north, and the site of the Court Lodge was immediately to the west (also the bishop’s manor house). The main route in medieval times across North Kent (now the A226) is only ¼ mile to the south (running here from Dartford to Gravesend).

DESCRIPTION: Much has been written about this architecturally quite exceptional church, and many fine drawings of the church and its architectural details have been made (eg. those by George D.Oliver in The British Architect (Jan & Feb. 1880), but the standard account is still that by G.E. Street, the architect who restored the church, in 1859-1860 (op. cit. below). The first phased plan of the church was not drawn until 1950 (by Elliston Erwood op. cit. below), and it was only really at this time that the ‘archaeology’ (and phasing) of the church was first looked at. The present writer, however, cannot agree that there was a 13th century western tower with a stair-turret on the south-east (as suggested by Elliston Erwood), which then had lean-to aisles, and a new stair-turret added to it.

Although a church at Stone is mentioned in Domesday Book (1086), all of this church was clearly demolished in the 13th century to make the present highly unusual parish church. The Patron for this work must have been the bishop of Rochester, who owned it and had a large manor house immediately adjoining the church on the west. G.E. Street, and most later writers, have suggested that it was Master Laurence de St. Martin (bishop of Rochester, 1251-74) who was responsible. However, the work in the nave, at least, must be earlier than c. 1250, and I would suggest that it was perhaps Master Richard de Wendene (bishop 1238-50) who was responsible. Earlier this bishop was Rector of Bromley and a bishop’s official, but he was known to be very pious and holy man, and most unusually was buried in Westminster Abbey when he died on 12th October 1250, and it is this which is the only known documentary correction between the church and the great Royal Abbey.

The earliest part of the church is the carefully proportioned 3-bay aisled nave, which gets progressively more elaborate from west to east. This is not the place to describe this architecture in detail, but in style it is still of the plate-tracery type with pairs of lancets with quatrefoil windows above. This style can be seen in the Great Hall of the archbishop’s palace at Canterbury of the 1220s, or in Henry III’s Great Hall in Winchester Castle, of the 1230s, though here at Stone, the style takes on a much more elaborate and decorative fom inside, with internal hood-moulds and shafted jambs. We also get the use of highly moulded arches and shafted piers (with Purbeck marble en delit) in the main arcades and chancel arch. This nave is therefore like a highly decorated aisled ‘Great Hall’, rather than an ordinary church nave and its date is perhaps in the 1230s or 40s.

When the nave was built, it was probably meant to have a slightly narrower chancel, and this chancel probably survives in the small western bay of the present chancel. Soon afterwards, however, it was decided to make a much larger and more elaborately decorated 2-bay vaulted chancel with thinner walls but much larger external buttresses. This chancel was badly damaged by a fire in 1638 (the vaults were taken down in 1640), and then reconstructed in 1859-60, but the surviving original tracery on the north-west (covered by the Wiltshyre Chantry), and the remarkable well-preserved blind-arcading (with wonderfully decorated spandrels) in the lower walls show very close parallels with the eastern arm of Westminster Abbey (rebuilt from 1246). It is this chancel that was perhaps being built just before and after the time of bishop Wendene’s death in 1250, but why it was being built here is unknown. Was it somehow connected with the shrine to St William of Perth in Rochester Cathedral (murdered 1201 and canonised in 1256)? Or was it just a special Episcopal ‘chapel for bishop Richard de Wendene?

The third main phase of this church was the square western tower and its associated north and south aisles. The break between this work and the earlier 13th century work can be clearly seen, and at the west ends of the original nave aisles heavily moulded half arches were put in to brace the eastern corners of the tower. The capitals, with various tree-leaves, and the Decorated period windows in the aisles here all suggest a very late 13th or early 14th century date for this work, though the moulded arches on the north, east and south sides of the tower try to follow the earlier work in the nave. The west doorway which has lost its hood-mould and detached shafts appears to be of a late 13th century date, and may once have had a stone porch outside it (suggested by Elliston Erwood). In 1859 a brick porch was demolished. The elaborate, but very worn, north doorway was apparently inserted into the extended north aisle in the mid-19th century. It is, however, in a mid-13th century style, and was here before Street’s 1859-60 Restoration, and was noticed by Sir Stephen Glynne.

A vestry building was added to the north-east side of the chancel in the 14th century. It has a moulded external plinth and ogeed trefoiled lights in its north and east walls.

The upper part of the tower, which was perhaps once capped by a timber spire, has 2-light Perpendicular windows under square hood-moulds, and must date from the 15th century. It also has a restored crenellated parapet with a moulded string course (with carved head spouts) below. Also in the 15th century the eastern part of the chancel was given large three-light Perpendicular windows on the north and south, and a 4-bay window to the east. These were sadly destroyed by Street, and filled up. On the east he erected a new 3-light 13th century-type window.

In c. 1508 the Wiltshyre chantry was built on the north side of the chancel (St Blaises chapel) between the vestry and the north aisle. It contains the fine wall-monument and tomb of Sir John Wiltshyre (ob. 1526), and over it is a flying buttresses, which replaced the original large buttresses to the north-west corner of the chancel. There are late Perp. Windows (2-light + 3-light) on either side of the north buttress and a moulded plinth.

A lighting strike and fire badly damaged the church in 1638, and the ‘stone roof’ (ie. vault) of the chancel was taken down in 1640. Twin roofs (with twin east gables) were then built over the chancel. The 3-bay queen strut roof over the nave with side purlins and longitudinal braces also perhaps dates from the mid-17th century. It had a flint ceiling under it until the late 19th century. Street’s large restoration of 1859-60 is fully described by Street himself (op. cit.), and he is responsible for most of the external facing and rebuilding of buttresses with bricks. He also heightened the chancel walls for his new chancel vaults and built the new east gable. Font & Pulpit (1860) and 5 bells in the tower.

BUILDING MATERIALS: (Incl. old plaster, paintings, glass, tiles etc.):
Some Roman bricks and tufa blocks may be reused from the earlier church. The main materials for the present church were flint rubble and dressings of Caen and Reigate stone and Purbeck marble shafts. In the north aisle are three fine wall paintings (of later 13th century date) between the windows, and there are good framed copies of these by Tristram (1924). They are of the Virgin and Child (twice) and the Murder of St Thomas Becket. There are also other wall-painting fragments. Much heavy knapped flint as well as red-bricks were used externally for the 19th century Restorations.

EXCEPTIONAL MONUMENTS IN CHURCH:
Fine brass of John Lambarde (ob. 1408) on south side of chancel (also other Post-Medieval brasses), and the monument to Sir John Wiltshyre in north chantry chapel (as well as another fine wall-monument here).

CHURCHYARD AND ENVIRONS:
Size & Shape: Rectangular area around church

Condition: Quite good

Boundary walls: On the west

Building in churchyard or on boundary: Ruined shed to west

Ecological potential: ? Yes

HISTORICAL RECORD (where known):
Earliest ref. To church: Domesday Book

Late med. Status: Rectory.

Patron: Bishop of Rochester (but to Monks of the Cathedral Priory c. 1142 - c. 1190).

Other documentary sources: Hasted II (1797), 396-9.

Testamenta Cantiana (West Kent 1906), 74-5 mention paving of the ‘procession wey’ from the chancel door to the west door with paving tile (1473). Also St Blaises Chapel (Wiltshyre Chantry) in 1508, and ‘Our Lady’s altar’ (1522).

ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD:
Reused materials: Various fragments found in walls in 1859-60 restoration (see Street below). Also some Roman bricks and tufa blocks.

SURVIVAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DEPOSITS:
Inside present church: ? Good. The foundations of the earlier church should be below.

Outside present church: Probably good, but perhaps some disturbance outside in 1859-60 restoration.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL ASSESSMENT:
One of the finest churches in Kent, though fairly heavily restored in 1859-60 by G.E. Street. The 3-bay aisled nave dates from c. 1240, with the vaulted chancel, which ha close similarities to Westminster Abbey, being added about a decade later. Western tower of c. 1300 with north and south aisles, and 14th century north-east vestry. Tower top of the 15th century, and North Chantry Chapel of St Blaise (Wiltshyre Chantry) - early 16rth century. Struck by lightning, 1638 and rebuilt in the 1640s (including surviving nave roof) completely restored in 1859-60 by G.E. Street.

The wider context: A quite exceptional building, perhaps erected under Richard de Wendene (bishop of Rochester 1238-50). Its elaborate 13th century architecture is unmatched anywhere else in Kent, and the vaulted chancel can be compared closely with the eastern arm of Westminster Abbey.

REFERENCES: G.E. Street, ‘Some account of the church of St Mary, Stone, near Dartford’, in Arch Cant. 3 (1860), 97-134; and F.C. Elliston-Erwood ‘Brief notes’ in Arch. Cant. 64 (1951), 97-100 + plan. S. Glynne, Churches of Kent (1877), 328-335 (with Street’s illustrations). He visited before Street’s restoration, as did Edward Cresy (1840). See also St Pauls Eccles. Soc. Trans. Iii 291. For the Wiltshyre tomb, see B Cherry, ‘an early 16th century London tomb design’, Architectural History, Vol 27

Photographs: Kent Churches (1954), 62 (view N.E. in church), 73 (upper part of church), 104 (view S.E. chancel).

Plans & drawings: Views (2) from N.W. in 1806 by Petrie (showing no N.W. doorway) and crenellated parapet to tower).

DATES VISITED: 16/2/96 & 17/12/96                          REPORT BY: Tim Tatton-Brown