St Michael's Church, Chart Sutton, Kent

St Michael's Church, Chart Sutton Church

Image Source: John Vigar

This is an enigma! The medieval church, of which the tower with its fine 14th century west window, survives, was destroyed by fire in the late 18th century. The story of the fires is recorded in Hasted`s History of Kent. It was rebuilt by Henry Holland as a classical box with gothic detailing – for instance the vestry lancet – but this was mostly undone by two Victorian restorations which combined to turn the church into a more standard building. The interior is barn like but the fine glass by Barraud and Westlake is all of a date around 1900, though some more recent repairs have been really botched with naïve faces much in evidence. The pulpit is fine work of the Victorian restoration with curving staircase and on the whole nothing jars. It is a building of two periods – each recorded by plaques and boards – and the crumbling ragstone exterior with galletted blocks gives the impression that it is waiting for the next period of change.

1851 Census Details

Seating Capacity: No return

Morning Attendance: No return

Afternoon Attendance: No return

Evening Attendance: No return

Architecture Details

Original Build Date/Architect: Holland 1779

Restoration: 1897

Second Restoration:

Notes

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