Details
GILLINGHAM
TQ86NW HIGH STREET, Rainham
686-1/8/107 (South side)
24/02/50 Church of St Margaret
(Formerly Listed as:
HIGH STREET, Rainham
(South side)
St Margaret's Church)
GV I
Church. Originally c1066, chancel and N chapel largely rebuilt
mid C13, nave and N aisle early C14, C15 roof, tower c1470;
restored 1869-71 by Joseph Clarke.
MATERIALS: flint, partly rendered, and limestone dressings,
tile-hung nave and aisle gables and Kentish ragstone rubble
tower; tiled roof.
STYLE: Decorated and Perpendicular.
PLAN: chancel and N chapel, nave and N aisle and N and S
porches and W tower.
EXTERIOR: E end has 2 gables, the taller chancel gable has a
single left-hand buttress and roughly-coursed masonry in the
top of the gable, with a C19 3-light window; chapel gable has
a right-hand buttress with offsets, some render to the top, a
C19 4-light window with Decorated tracery, and a low C19
3-light mullion cellar window.
3-light N side has two C19 1-light windows with an altered C16
2-light W window with flat 2-centre arch.
S side has a central buttress with an early C13 lancet to the
right; C14 2-light windows either side, and a left-hand paired
C16 window.
Wider nave and aisles have tile-hung E gables, that to the
nave with an 2-light C14 window; the N aisle is 4-bays with a
C19 gabled porch with 2-centre arched doorway with hood mould
and small 2-light side windows in a flat-headed frame, to an
inner door with a fine C14 studded door; left-hand windows
divided by a buttress, C16 shallow 2-centre arched left-hand
window and 2-centre arched C19 windows either side of the
porch.
Crenellated 3-stage tower has angle buttresses and strings,
with an octagonal NE stair tower offset at parapet level. A
plain 2-centre arched W doorway with double doors beneath a
3-light window, a small niche with label over the ground-floor
string, with flat-headed 2-light cinquefoil-headed windows to
middle and top stages. S side has a large central gabled porch
with side buttresses and a pointed arched door, with flanking
C19 2-light windows.
INTERIOR: chancel has an early C13 4-bay arcade with keeled
shafts, interrupted by a sedilia with 3 gables and a small
piscina; N arcade has an E C13 arch and 2 wider late C13
arches, with a good late C15 parclose with carved leafs to
spandrels over 4-centre arches. Moulded chapel arch to the
aisle has triple shafts and head stops, with rood openings
either side.
Crown post roof with moulded bases and capitals. Early C14
5-bay nave arcade has octagonal shafts, with a rood loft
opening below the rood beam, and 3 tie beams with crown posts
and diagonal braces and moulded wall plates; aisle has a
similar roof.
At the E end 2 bays of fine late C15 painted panels with
sunbursts, Tudor roses repainted in Lancastrian white. In the
S wall is a fragment of wall painting with a 1335 consecration
cross.
Fine N and S doors, the former with an inserted wicket.
MEMORIALS: chancel E end: wall memorial, painted alabaster of
kneeling couple within a flattened arch with pilasters and an
open pediment with cartouche, and a reclining figure beneath,
John Norreys d.1627. In the E bay is a Perpendicular chest
tomb to Thomas Norreys d.1624, painted limestone top with
re-set panelled sides.
In the chapel NE corner a good marble statue of Nicholas
Tufton, Earl of Thanet, d.1679, standing on a plinth in Roman
armour, and flanking oval panels with family history. In the N
wall, a seated figure of George Tufton d.1650 with a Latin
inscription.
STAINED GLASS: nave SE window by Hardman, 1871.
FITTINGS: a fine C14 parish chest has 9 panels with trefoil
heads and blind tracery, 2 cusped panels on top. C19 octagonal
font, pulpit and pews.
HISTORY: Pevsner reports further wall paintings overpainted, a
Last Judgement and C15 St Christopher over a C14 St
Christopher.
(BoE: Pevsner N & Newman J: West Kent and the Weald: London:
1976-: 466; Dellar R: St Margaret's Rainham, Church Guide).
Listing NGR: TQ8208365791