Listed Building Description
Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.
TR 24 SE ALKHAM ALKHAM VALLEY ROAD (North side) 4/5 Church of 22.8.62 St Anthony the Martyr GV I Parish church. Circa 1200 and late C13, altered C14 and C15. Restored 1872. Flint with plain tiled roof. Chancel and north chapel, nave and south aisle, western tower and south porch. Western tower much restored, in two stages with triple offset corner buttresses, string course and low spire. Cl9 Early English style west doorway and oval oculus over, and restored lancets. South aisle with buttresses, string course and parapet, all carried over to include large porch with restored gable end and wave moulded south doorway. C15 fenestration, except replaced lancets at west and east ends. North nave wall with exposed blocked arcade to now demolished aisle, with re-set lancets. Circular clerestorey windows. Chancel and north chapel separately roofed and stepped down from nave, with heavy offset corner buttresses and string course carried over from aisle and with C15 fenestration. Four-light cusped C14 East window, with 2 lancets and sexfoil over eastern assembly to chapel, with 4 lancets on string course to north, lancet and roundel to west walls. The original early C13 church was of nave with aisles extended into the chancel, with large later C13 north chapel, this arrangement apparent especially within. Interior: nave with chamfered arch to tower with moulded hood on round responds with 'water-holding' bases and bell-capitals. Arcade of 4 bays to south, 2 to north, the western 2 bays blocked in at time of building north chapel. Built 3 bays to nave, 1 to chancel with short stretch of wall between 2 bays and with no chancel arch; round piers with moulded bases and bell capitals, with continuous hood mould, and clerestory windows over. Cl9 roof of 4 crown posts. Chancel of same early C13 date with string course, off which the C14 inserted window springs, with exposed jambs of C13 window reveal. C14 eastern arch with double chamfer on octagonal responds to north chapel. Part of group of "High Early English" in this part of Kent, with Folkestone and Cheriton. Nine bay blind arcading in groups of 3 on north wall, with deeply undercut tri-lobed arches on Bethersden marble colonettes, the plinth raised 3 times to accommodate 3 steps to sanctuary. Five lancets over with attached shafts set on string course all with moulded hoods. East window of 2 tall lancets and oculus over, all with doubled attached shafts and undercut moulding. Cl9 Roof of 3 crown posts. Fittings: triple sedilia in chancel, C13, with tri-lobed heads, hood mould and hollow chamfered surrounds, the 2 westernmost separated by attached colonette, the easternmost with integral piscina with trilobed head and hollow chamfer. Hollow chamfered shelved piscina in north chapel, simple chamfered piscina in south aisle. All other fittings (including font and screen to tower) Cl9, apart from C18 brass chandelier of 2 tiers with 8 branches over 8, and enriched handle at base. Monuments: fine C13 tomb slab in north chapel, with faint cross and very clear lettering, to Hubert, son of Simon, and first known Rector of Alkham (1199-1203). Sarah Slater, d.1720. Wall plaque in chancel of white marble, with fluted sides, cornice and achievement on apron with cherub. Fine series of marble floor slabs before chancel. The church was appropriated to Abbey of St Radigunds in 1258, which may date the north chapel work. (See BOE Kent II 1983, pp 127-8; see also Lees & Humphrey, Alkham Parish, 1985).
Listing NGR: TR2559142299