There will be very days like yesterday for me in East Kent, six previously unvisited churches, four open, and so many shots to post.
Back home in Suffolk, there is also a Wootton, pronounced without using either of the letter ‘t’s, and here in Kent it seems to be pretty similar.
A mile or so off the busy A2 road, but down quiet country lanes into the small village.
St Martin nestles among ancient trees, making a clear view of the whole of the building impossible. There is a space at the side of the lane large enough for one car, so we take it, and I go through the simple gate to see if the church is open: it is.
So once I have my cameras, we go in and find a splendid village church, in good repair, floored with rustic tiles.
The Chancel was ‘restored’ in 1871 by Robert Jewell Withers , and has some fine Victorian tiles, but its original character has all but been lost.
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THIS PARISH is within the ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Eleham.
The church, which is dedicated to St. Martin, consists of a body and one chancel, having at the west end a low flat tower, in which there is one bell. This church is small and neat. In the chancel is a memorial for James Janeway, rector twenty-six years; he died in 1739. Several memorials for the Coppins. A memo rial for Robert Garret, rector, obt. July 3, 1712. A memorial for John St. Pierre, rector, obt. 1586; one for Thomas Pritchard, rector, obt. 1615. In the body a memorial for Mr. Edward Coppin, of Bishopsborne, rector of this parish, obt. July 30, 1689. An antient stone, without inscription, on it the arms of Foche—There were some time ago three bells in the steeple of this church, but two of them were sold towards the repair of it.
The church of Wootton was antiently appendant to the manor, and continued so till John Coppin, gent. at his death in 1630, separated them, by devising the advowson to his eldest son the Rev. Thomas Coppin, and the manor to his second son John Coppin, gent. who afterwards, by the death of his brother abovementioned, became possessed likewise of the advowson; and though they had afterwards the same unity of possession, yet being once separated, the latter continued, notwithstanding, an advowson in gross, and remains so at this time, the Rev. Edw. Timewell Brydges, owner of the manor of Wootton, being the present proprietor of the advowson of this church.
¶This rectory is valued in the king’s books at 81. 10s. 2½d. and the yearly tenths at 17s. 0¼d. In 1578 it was valued at sixty pounds, communicants seventy-five. In 1640 it was valued at seventy-eight pounds, communicants fifty. In pursuance of the king’s letters mandatory, this rectory was augmented in 1661 with the yearly sum of forty pounds. There are fifteen acres of glebe land.
The archbishops had a right to give, as of usual custom, to one secular clerk, for his better advancement in learning in the schools, a yearly pension of two marcs, to be received from this church of Wodeton.
www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol9/pp364-373
TR 24 NW DENTON AND WOOTTON WOOTTON LANE
(north side)
1/63
Church of St.
22.8.62 Martin
GV II*
Parish church. Early C13 with C12 evidence and with C14 alterations
and restored 1878-9 by Withers and 1881. Flint and rubble with some
brick repairs and with plain tiled roof. Chancel with northern vestry,
nave and west tower. Two stage tower with string course to parapet
with large offset buttress on north-west corner, Angle buttresses to
nave. Lancets throughout, some restored, with C19 east window and C15
lancet in vestry, which is possibly remains of C15 chapel;south and
north doorways with sunk quadrant moulding, north door blocked, south
in 1878 porch with moulded blind arcaded woodwork on flint base.
Interior: round headed reveal to tower lancet. Simple pointed tower
arch, and widened chancel arch of similar pattern. Roof of 3 crown
posts. Chancel roof C19 wooden waggon vault. Fittings: shelved piscina
and window-seat style sedile in chancel, chamfered piscina in nave.
Alabaster reredos of 1881 (as in window glass), main relief of pelican
piety. Octagonal pulpit with C17 linenfold panels. C18 prayer boards
to left and right of chancel arch. Monuments: 2 black and white wall
plaques, to Sir John Brydges, dl839, and Rev. Charles Kinleside, d.1811,
both with draped urns over sarcophagus-shaped plaques, different
treatment of similar theme by same artist, T. Denman of Regent Street,
London, brother-in-law of Flaxman and inheritor of his business and
commissions. (See BOE Kent II 1983, p503; see also R. Gunnis).
Listing NGR: TR2227446220
