St Bartholomew's Church, Goodnestone
Encyclopedia
St Bartholomew's Church, Goodnestone, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Goodnestone
, Kent
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The village is some 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Faversham
, to the west of the A299 road
.
church built in the 12th century. Alterations and additions were made in the 14th and 15th centuries. The porch was rebuilt in 1837 after it had been damaged by an earth tremor. In 1876 the church was restored
at a cost of £400 (£ as of ). The church was declared redundant on 1 June 1985, and was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 14 November 1996. In 1997 extensive repairs were undertaken. The church is open daily to visitors.
with a tiled roof. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave
with a north porch, and a chancel
. On the west gable
is a wooden bellcote. In the north and south wall are lancet window
s, otherwise the windows are Perpendicular in style. The west window has three lights and the east window has two. The stained glass in the east window is by Thomas Willement
, and it is possible that the glass in the west window is by the same designer. The chancel arch dates from the 14th century. In the chancel is a combined piscina
and sedilia
. In the nave is another piscina and a rood
stair. The north wall of the chancel contains a tomb recess. The font
is small and dates from the 19th century.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Goodnestone
Goodnestone, Swale
Goodnestone is a village and civil parish east of Faversham in southeast England.-History:The village was referred to in 1242 as "Godwineston", meaning "the farm or settlement of Godwin". St Bartholomew's Church is an unspoilt Norman church, built about 1100. The church has not been used for...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The village is some 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east of Faversham
Faversham
Faversham is a market town and civil parish in the Swale borough of Kent, England. The parish of Faversham grew up around an ancient sea port on Faversham Creek and was the birthplace of the explosives industry in England.-History:...
, to the west of the A299 road
A299 road
The A299, better known as the Thanet Way, is a major road in the county of Kent, England, and runs from Brenley Corner near Faversham to Ramsgate via Whitstable and Herne Bay. It is predominantly used for freight traffic to Ramsgate Harbour and local traffic to Thanet.Most of the A299 was...
.
History
St Bartholomew's is a NormanNorman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church built in the 12th century. Alterations and additions were made in the 14th and 15th centuries. The porch was rebuilt in 1837 after it had been damaged by an earth tremor. In 1876 the church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
at a cost of £400 (£ as of ). The church was declared redundant on 1 June 1985, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust on 14 November 1996. In 1997 extensive repairs were undertaken. The church is open daily to visitors.
Architecture
The church is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
with a tiled roof. Its plan is simple, consisting of a nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a north porch, and a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
. On the west gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
is a wooden bellcote. In the north and south wall are lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s, otherwise the windows are Perpendicular in style. The west window has three lights and the east window has two. The stained glass in the east window is by Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement
Thomas Willement, 1786–1871, was a British stained glass artist, called “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”, active from 1811 to 1865.-Biographical:Willement was born on the 18th July 1786 at St Marylebone, London....
, and it is possible that the glass in the west window is by the same designer. The chancel arch dates from the 14th century. In the chancel is a combined piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
and sedilia
Sedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
. In the nave is another piscina and a rood
Rood
A rood is a cross or crucifix, especially a large one in a church; a large sculpture or sometimes painting of the crucifixion of Jesus.Rood is an archaic word for pole, from Old English rōd "pole", specifically "cross", from Proto-Germanic *rodo, cognate to Old Saxon rōda, Old High German ruoda...
stair. The north wall of the chancel contains a tomb recess. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is small and dates from the 19th century.
External features
In the churchyard is a chest tomb dating from the early 19th century that has been listed Grade II.See also
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in South East England