St Mary's Church, St Mary Cray, Kent

St Mary's Church, St Mary Cray Church

Image Source: John Salmon

Normally the parish church dominates the Kent landscapes, but here the church is overshadowed - if not overwhelmed - by the enormous railway viaduct that crosses the Cray Valley. The flint rubble exterior with its ragstone dressings is not the most picturesque but it does allow us to contrast the regular Victorian work with the less even medieval work. The church is thirteenth century in date and of this period is the rood loft staircase. Parts of the medieval rood screen remain in the south chapel and under the tower. The south aisle contains a small piece of medieval glass from Westminster Abbey, damaged in the war and given to this church in 1991. It shows the arms of King Henry VII. On the south side of the chancel is the Hodsoll chapel with a fine early seventeenth century hanging wall monument showing a couple kneeling at a prie-dieu. The church is also lucky enough to contains seven brasses, some dating from as late as the eighteenth century.

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: Medieval

Restoration: Edwin Nash 1876

Second Restoration:

Notes

Website

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