Description

TQ 991 286 SNARGATE

5/111 Church of St Dunstan
9.6.59
GV II*

Parish church. C13, C14, C15 and late C18, restored 1870-72 by C.T. Whitley
of Dover. Tower galletted ragstone; east end of chancel small blocks of
roughly squared and coursed ragstone; south elevation of south aisle and
chapel pebbledashed, rest roughly coursed flint and ragstone. Plain tile
roof. West tower, south porch, nave and chancel with continuous aisles
reaching to east end. West tower: C15. 2 stages on moulded plinth, with
battlements above a moulded string. Diagonal buttresses. Polygonal north-
east stair turret with conical stone roof. Chamfered two-light belfry
windows. C15 three-light traceried west window in casement-moulded architrave
with hoodmould. West doorway with two-centred arch formerly moulded, with
slender attached shafts either side with moulded capitals and bases. Archit-
rave, casement-moulded and square-topped, with hoodmould, and traces of carved
spandrels. Nave: slightly exposed at west end, where plinthless. South aisle
and south chapel: south aisle C13, south chapel C14. Walls have continuous
moulded plinth and cornice. Angle buttresses to east and west, and four plain
south buttresses. Lean-to roof. Un-traceried square-topped west window with
3 cinquefoil-headed lights and hoodmould. 5 similar 2-light south windows
and similar C15 traceried 3-light east window. Stone doorway to chapel at
junction with chancel, with plain partially-dressed outer and round-arch inner
architrave.Stump of wall of wall to south of doorway suggests it gave access to a further
unit. South porch : late C18. Red brick in Elemish bond on stepped brick plinth with plain tile
roof.2-centred arched Gothik doorway.Wooden door with inset light.Moulded stone
Medieval inner doorway with 2-centred arch. Chancel: on moulded plinth with
2 buttresses. 2-centred arched traceried east window of 3 cinquefoil-headed
lights with cavetto mullions and hoodmould. Late C19 quatrefoiled window
in gable above. Moulded string beneath east window over inscription:
"This Chancel was restored by Edward Wilkinson Rector A.D.1870."
North aisle and north chapel: north aisle C13, (but later than south aisle),
north chapel C14, (but earlier than south chapel). Gabled, with diagonal
buttresses to east and west, and 5 north buttresses. C15 two-light traceried
east window. Three north windows similar to those to south, 2-centred arched
west window with hoodmould, restored with Y tracery. Small blocked rectangular
light with chamfered stone architrave in west gable. Moulded 2-centred arched
north doorway to west end of chapel. Moulded 3-centred arched north doorway
with hoodmould towards west end of aisle. Interior: Structure: 4-bay C13
nave arcade of circular columns with bell capitals and bases and pointed
arches of 2 plain-chamfered orders. North arcade different from and slightly
later than south. North arcade dies into wall to east and west. South arcade
terminates on crocketted corbels with carved heads. 2-bay C14 chancel arcade
with one north and one south column, both with moulded capitals and bases, but
that to north earlier; hollow chamfer to south-east bay, otherwise 2 orders
of plain chamfers. No chancel arch. Moulded C15 tower arch incorporating
attached columns with moulded capitals and bases. Blocked round-arched doorway
with hollow chamfer to east end of south chapel, with part of arcade wall cut
back to allow access. Plain squarsheaded north doorway to north chapel.
3-centred arched north aisle doorway to north chapel. 3-centred arched tower
stairs doorway with hollow chamfer and broach stops. Very small pointed-arched
rood-loft doorway with hinges and rebate for door about 4 feet up in south
side of north aisle at junction with north chapel. Round-arched opening
through opposite wall on south side of nave. Trefoil-headed piscina with
renewed cill to east end of chancel. Plain rectangular piscina to south side
of north chapel. Remains of stoup to east of north aisle door.
Roof: 5 crown;posts to nave; 3 to east with moulded capitals and bases
on moulded tie-beams. Pendant posts with solid spandrels, each pierced
with one quatrefoil and 2 trefoils. 2 west trusses are repairs. Chancel
roof largely C19 with 2 crown-posts on medieval tie-beams. South aisle
and chapel have continuous aligned butt purlin roof. North aisle and
chapel have continuous sans-purlin common-rafter roof with collars and
sous-laces; ashlar pieces to north only; 7 plain tie-beams, 5 of which
have central bosses, that to east carved with coat of arms of John Copuldike
(circa temp. Richard II) (Canon Scott Robertson, "Churches in Romney Marsh",
Archeologia Cantiana Vol. XIII 1880).
Fittings and decorations:Font of dressed stone, square, on square stone
base with moulded plinth up 2 stone steps from south, set against west
pier of north arcade. Wall painting: of a "Great Ship" of circa 1500 in
red ochre on north wall of north aisle. (G. Nesbitt-Wood, "Wall Painting
of a Sixteenth Century Ship". Arch.Cant. LXXXVII 1972). Worn Medieval
patterned floor tiles to east end of north aisle and near font. 7 oval
text boards erected 1794. 2 lead plagues near north door, from roof, one
dated 1773, the other with embossed inscription: "J. Bourne, C. Warden
Warington Romney Plumber T. Apps Carpenter And all his jolly men 1780".
Monuments: table tomb in north-east bay of chancel arcade with moulded
plinth, corniced lid, pointed quatrefoils to sides and indent of a brass
on lid. (J. Newman, Buildings of England, West Kent and The Weald, 1980).

Listing NGR: TQ9765028032

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17545950

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)