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NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE OFALDINGTON CHURCH, KENT, AND THE

CHAPEL AT COURT-AT-STREET, CALLED" BELLIRICA."

F. 0. ELLISTCXN EKWOOD, P.S.A.

THESE two buildings, the one intimately connected with.Erasmus (who was presented to the living of Aldington byArchbishop Warham), the other the scene of several incidentsin the tragic life of the holy Maid of Kent, Elizabeth Barton,have, naturally, an interest beyond their architecturalappeal, but from this latter point alone they are well wortha visit. The church is situated on the northern slope of thehill range on the borders of Romney Marsh, its fine recently-completed tower dominating the country around, and beinga landmark from the sea. The building itself is simple inplan, consisting of a western tower, nave, south aisle, chancel,south chapel and the lower stages of an earlier tower, nowused as a vestry. The earliest church of which there are anyremains was Norman, of the twelfth century. It consistedof a plain aisleless nave, twenty-one feet by forty-three feetinternally, with a small square chancel of about nineteen feetinternal measurement. To the nave was attached at itssouth-west corner a massive tower, nearly nineteen feetsquare externally, with walls six feet thick, its west wallprojecting some two feet beyond the west wall of the nave.The original length of the chancel is indicated by the oldquoins still remaining in the exterior of the north wall,nineteen feet nine-inches from the north-east angle of thenave. There are similar indications in the south wall, butthese are only discernible from within the chancel. Thereis also, in the middle of the north chancel wall, a blocked,round-headed twelfth century window, showing that thefirst chancel was lit by a single light in each of the lateralwalls. The original east wall has been entirely removed,

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and the chancel arch replaced by a later one. Several ofthese features, especially those noted on the north wall,have been described as " Saxon," but their post-conquestdate is unquestionable. The internal length of the old naveis indicated by a slight irregularity in the wall near itsnorth-west end, a position confirmed by the situation of thefifteenth century diagonal buttress, built as a support to itsnorth-west angle before the erection of the second tower(see plan). The north wall of the nave contains a blockedtwelfth century doorway, and there are indications of round-headed windows to the east of it. The early tower is piercedon the ground stage by two deeply splayed narrow windowsin the south and west walls respectively. There is a doorwayon the east face, now opening into a thirteenth centuryaisle ; but originally this was the entrance from the church-yard. There does not seem to be any direct communicationbetween the church and this tower, unless there is a blocked-up door, of which there is no apparent evidence, concealedbeneath the plaster of the north wall. There was, therefore,most likely another doorway to the nave on the south wallopposite to that on the north, pierced through a nowdestroyed wall, that stood on the line of the nave arcade.There was an upper story to this tower, but even with thisaddition it would scarcely attain to the full height of a normalNorman tower. Whether it was higher it is difficult to say,but in all probability it was. It has no structural stairway,a wooden ladder being the means of access to the upper floor.On the east wall of this tower, seen from the inside of theaisle, is a narrow window, with, apparently, a pointed head.Above it is the weather-mold of the earlier aisle roof. Quiteclearly a thirteenth century window would not open intothe roof of an aisle, and a careful examination of this windowshows that it is not a thirteenth century window at all, butone of the narrow slits of the Norman tower, with a recentlyrepaired head in cement. It is clear therefore that, as thereare no signs of a roof-mold below this window, the originalchurch was aisleless, and this window lit the upper floor ofthe tower.

OF ALDINGTON CHURCH, KENT.

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The following century saw the usual alterations andenlargements of a parish church. The chancel waslengthened some ten or eleven feet eastwards, a new chancelarch inserted and in the new east wall was placed a tripletof lancets, the extreme splays of which are yet visible. Thereare some slight remains of a priest's door on the south,with a window above, but most of the existing details of thechancel are of subsequent dates. The western portion ofthe south wall of the chancel (the original twelfth centurywall) was pierced by two arches of thirteenth century date,each consisting of two chamfered orders, springing from acircular free pier, with molded cap and base. Only the innerorders are supported, east and west, by corbels. Thesearches have been rebuilt at some later date, but theirthirteenth century origin is obvious. Beyond this arcadeis a chapel, fourteen feet six inches by sixteen feet internally,lit at the east end by two lancets, which remain. There arealso two lancets on the south side. This chapel is joined toan aisle of the same date by an arch, similar to those of thearcade, but springing from corbels. Above this arch is awindow, its outer face towards the aisle, its splay towardsthe chapel, being now entirely within the church, andinvisible from without. This opening is of undoubtedthirteenth century date. Its sill is just above the line ofthe old roof, as indicated by the weather-mold on the towerface. Evidently the aisle roof was of low elevation, ofpentise character, while that of the chapel was much higher,and gabled. The relative heights have been altered by thesubsequent raising of the aisle wall, and the substitution ofa gabled roof.

The nave arcade, replacing the twelfth century wallof the nave, is of two bays, with one free pier, circular inplan, with molded cap and base, carrying both orders ofthe arches. There are responds east and west, carrying theinner order only.

Between the two lancets of the chapel, and over the siteof the altar, is a small niche, evidently for an image of OurLady. A chapel to the Virgin is mentioned in early wills,

ALDINGTON CHURCH.From the South.

ALDINGTON CHURCH.Interior looking East.

OF ALDINGTON CHURCH, KENT. 147

as is an image, and this chapel is almost certainly the onementioned. In the same relative position on the outsideface of this wall is a rectangular blocked recess, with a rebatefor a door. Above are two corbels. Here was evidentlya little sacristy or vestry, the recess being the aumbry.Access to thisf r o m t h echancel was bya small door-way, vestigesof which canbe seen in theangle betweenthe chapel andthe chancel.Of fourteenthcentury workthere is verylittle, thoughsuch of thewindows asare filled withtracery of thischaracter maypreserve theforms of win-dows inserteddur ing thed e c o r a t e dperiod. Thereis an elabor-ate, but muchdamaged, double niche, with tabernacle work, on theeast splay of the easternmost window on the north side ofthe nave. There is no clue to the images it contained, butthere were images to St. Martin and St. Erasmus in thechurch (see Test. Cant., sub. Aldington). The fifteenthcentury was much more prolific in building works and

CHTJBOH : BIOOKED WINDOW, (12iHOENTDKY) IN BXTEBIOB OF NOETH WAIT, OF CHANOBL.

148 NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE

additions. Buttresses, a new porch, windows, the roodloft entry and the rood screen all belong to this period. Ofthe last named the following details remain :

a. The support of the rood beam on the north, abovethe decorated niche just described.

b. The upper doorway in the aisle, with the beam corbeljust below it.

c. The communicating passage through the thicknessof the nave arcade wall.

d. The greater part of the screen itself now utilised aspanelling on both faces of the chancel arch.

It is to be regretted that the screen is not replaced in itsoriginal position. Bequests mentioned in Test. Cant, showthat this structure was being erected about 1490, to whichperiod also belong the piscina and sedilia in the chancel.

But more important than these was the building of themagnificent tower at the west end of the church. The date,ascertained from wills and bequests, was between 1528 and1547 ; and though generally ascribed to the munificenceof Archbishop Warham, he can at most only be credited withcommencing it. Until a few years ago it was unfinished,being without a parapet, and having a very unsatisfactoryroof. Parishioners had left money by will towards the costof its erection in its earlier stages, but the last bequestmentioned (in Test. Cant.) indicates that the work was stillincomplete, and hints that local enthusiasm was waning.This tower was built some four or five feet west of the church.Thus the building could go on without disturbing the rest ofthe fabric, and when the tower had been carried up to asufficient height, it was then joined to the church by pullingdown the west wall of the nave and joining it up to the newwork, as indicated on the plan. The tower arch is a finespecimen of late perpendicular work, of very pleasingproportions, which must have been rather spoilt when theopen gallery, which was evidently part of the original design,was in being. The flooring corbels of this gallery still remainin the wall, and there is a stair leading to it, but the gallery

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OF ALDINGTON CHURCH, KENT. 149

itself has been removed. An octagonal turret in the northeast corner contains a circular vice leading to the battle-mented roof. The west front of the tower is likewise anexcellent piece of architectural design, having large anglebuttresses with double plinths, the lower one a plain chamfer,the upper a bold typical perpendicular section. There is afour-centred arched doorway, enclosed in a rectangularframing mold with traceried spandrils. On the south sideof this entrance is a large Holy Water Stock, while above isa band of decorative details, consisting of a central ogeeheaded niche for an image (which is missing) with foursquare detached panels of tracery flanking it, two on eitherside. Above this is a good, deeply set three-light perpen-dicular window, with a large niche having a traceried plinthand tabernacled head north and south.

Several of the fittings of the church call for comment,especially the woodwork. The rood screen has already beenmentioned, but in the chancel is a fine set of stalls, withreturned west ends, carved with poppy heads and adornedwith traceries and panelling, all good fifteenth century work.A screen separating the chancel from the chapel is also note-worthy, though it is evidently of two periods, while thesouth chapel itself is panelled in the classic style of theseventeenth century. The pulpit (sixteenth century work)has a fine carving of a pelican in her piety on its face, andthe reading desk is also worthy of note. There are a fewfragments of stained glass scattered among the windows,but the font is poor. The whole effect of a typical Kentishchurch is marred, however, by the absence of the screen,and the presence of the ugly (though no doubt necessary)stove and stovepipe which disfigure the nave.

Two miles east of this church, and, though in theadjoining parish of Lympne, intimately connected with it, isthe ruined chapel of Bellirica,' in the hamlet of Court-at-Street. Situated on the top of a steep slope behind the ManorFarm and quite invisible from the road, the roofless chapel,

150 NOTES ON THE ARCHITECTURE

the scene of several of Elizabeth Barton's visions, now keepslonely watch over the wide' expanse of Romney Marsh.From the remains it was evidently a plain rectangularbuilding, twenty-three feet wide and forty-one feet long,having no structural chancel. The greater part of thenorth wall has disappeared, and of the remaining portionseverything seems to indicate an early sixteenth centurydate for the whole structure. The west door is of four-

COTrRT-AT-STEBBT: RuiNS OF CHAPEL FBOM AN OLD DRAWING.

centred form, enclosed in a rectangular hood-mold withtriangular spandrils. It is now blocked, but from withinthe rere-arch appears as segmental, while to the north isa very damaged Holy Water Stock. There are indicationsof a large east window of perpendicular character, and tracesof two smaller, but contemporary, lights appear on the south.

This chapel does not appear to have been a detachedbuilding ; there are fragments of walling continuing theline of the east wall in a southerly direction, and the stoppingof the plinth course on the east and south walls indicates

ALDINGTON CHURCH.Second, and existing, tower from South-West.

COURT-AT-STREET CHAPEL, OTHERWISE BELLIRICA.

Photoyrap/is by F. C. Ellistun Erwootl.

OF ALDINGTON CHURCH, KENT. 151

that other structures may have adjoined. Possibly someof these may have been the apartments of the Hermit ofCourt-at-Street mentioned in the official account of thedoings of the Maid. It seems most probable, however, thatthis chapel was at one time the chapel of the Manor House,the foundations of which are quite apparent but a fewinches below the soil and appear likewise to have someassociation with the chapel. There was her© an image ofmore than usual sanctity to which resort was made, thismatter being also mentioned in the proceedings against theMaid and her associates. In fact, the chapel may have beenbuilt especially for this relic, and the local enthusiasmengendered may have been an important ancillary factorto Elizabeth Barton's utterances. But these matters arebeyond the scope of this paper. For the benefit of thosewho would care to follow this aspect of the subject, thefollowing short bibliography may be of value.

The Holy Maid of Kent. A. H. Collins. The Antiquary,Vol. VI, n.s., p. 213.

The Perambulation of Kent. W. Lambarde.

Henry VIII and the English Monasteries. Gasquet.

The Holy Maid of Kent. A. D. Cheney. Trans.Roy. Hist. Soc., Vol. XVIII, n.s.

The Grey Friars of Canterbury. C. Cotton. Brit.Soc. Franciscan Studies, Extra Series, Vol. II.

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