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DATE:
south wall and part of west wall of nave, along with a small
section of the south wall of the chancel are visibly Saxon and
the shell of the nave and probably the whole of the chancel
are of this date. C13 north east chapel; C14 south windows to
nave; C15 north aisle; 1512 south east chapel. In 1861
Butterfield restored the church and the west gallery with
organ was replaced on the north side of the choir. A north
porch was added in 1900. There was a 1920s restoration and
also restoration following a 1973 fire.
MATERIALS: mostly flint with tiled roofs and freestone
dressings of Kentish ragstone and Caen stone, with evidence of
former render on the north side. The Saxon walling is a
mixture of flint, tile and stone with very large quoins. The
south east chapel is chequered flint and freestone; the gable
of the north aisle is rebuilt in brick.
PLAN: five bay nave, two bay chancel, north aisle, the east
end of the aisle and north east chapel refurbished as vestries
and church room following a late 1970s fire; north east vestry
roofed at right angles to the chapel; south east chapel; north
porch. North tower demolished in 1836.
EXTERIOR: the north side has five renewed lancets, two of
which originally lit the north tower built over the aisle, and
a C19 gabled porch. The west end of the aisle is Perpendicular
with a stringcourse, brick gable and two-light C19 west window
with west doorway below. The north west quoins of the nave are
concealed by a buttress. The north east vestry also has a
stringcourse and a timber-framed north gable, depressed
segmental arched doorway on the west side with a stack with a
tall brick chimneyshaft. Five-light Perpendicular style
traceried east window to chancel, three-light Perpendicular
west window to nave. The south side of the nave has a single
buttress and massive quoins at the east and west corners.
Three two-light C14 Decorated windows, one with renewed
masonry. The south wall of the Saxon chancel is truncated by
the 1512 chapel which has three-light uncusped windows on its
south and west sides and a C19 three-light Perpendicular style
window to the east. The chapel has a probably later parapet
and east and west gables with freestone crosses in the
flintwork and a north-west stack with a flint and freestone
chimneyshaft.
INTERIOR: The main entrance through the north-east porch has a
medieval four-centred Caen stone arch with arched wooden door
with blank shields and linenfold panelling. The aisle roof is
of common rafter design with tie beams. Perpendicular north
arcade with octagonal piers with concave sides. Crownpost nave
roof with four trusses with moulded arched braces to short
posts in the walls carried on moulded stone corbels. Late C15
octagonal font, the bowl with quatrefoils and the stem
decorated with blind tracery. Original ogival font cover with
crocketed angles, finial and pulley cable. C19 stone drum
pulpit with blind traceried panels and a brattished
(battlemented) cornice, painted to match the late C19/early
C20 timber tester. Probably C16 fine timber eagle lectern. C19
nave benches, the ends with simple shouldered profile.
The south east chapel was built as a chantry chapel for the
Atwood family and is thought to have been built in 1512. It
has a C16 Tudor arched stone fireplace and a small C15 figure
of St Mildred, perhaps assembled from various medieval
fragments. A good quality C15 doorway into the vestry from the
former north east chapel has carved spandrels and an original
door with vertical mouldings. The chancel arch forms a tie
beam with arched braces with a crownpost and two outer posts
with timber panels between the outer posts and roofline. This
is probably a 1920s arrangement, contemporary with the rood
beam and figures below. The chancel has two C14 arches of
unequal size on the north-east and a wide late Perpendicular
double-chamfered arch on the south into the south chapel. Two,
probably medieval, Perpendicular crownposts and tie beam
trusses to the chancel, the crown posts with moulded bases and
capitals and four-way braces. Crenellated wall-plate. Late C19
or early C20 boarded and panelled ceilure to the sanctuary.
The chancel has 1920s panelling but its furnishings
incorporate probable C15 or C16 carved Poppy-head bench ends
originating from another church.
Stained glass includes medieval fragments of stained glass of
St Mildred in the south east chapel, the east window by Ward
and Hughes of 1897, the west window by Burlisson and Grylls
(re-used from St. Paul's Church, Ramsgate after bomb damage)
two lancet windows by Lavers, Barnard and Westlake and stained
glass of St Helena and St Mildred in the west window of the
north chapel by Kempe studios.
Monuments include various wall tablets of the C17 and C18. In
the nave are an alabaster monument to Thomas Cranmer, nephew
of the archbishop d. 1604, a monument to Sir William Cranmer
d.1691 and black and white marble tomb chest to Sir Francis
Head d. 1716 with panels on the sides of sunflowers and on the
front arms and emblems of death. There are also a number of
black basalt floor slabs. The chancel has a 1789 monument by
Bacon to William Jackson d.1789. The parish room contains a
monument by J F Mooore to Winefred Bridger d. 1776 with palm
trees, Roman sarcophagus and winged victory and adjoining wall
tablet to William Smith d.1699. Over the north porch are
tablets with benefactions, a Royal Coat of Arms in the north
aisle and the north aisle and nave contain eight hatchments.
HISTORY: The dedication is to St Mildred (d. 732), the
daughter of Merewald, King of Mercia, and Ermenburga, a
Princess of Kent. After an education at Chelles in France she
joined her mother in the convent at Minster-in-Thanet and
later succeeded her as abbess. The church was probably built
in the mid C11, soon after the relics of St Mildred had been
brought from Minster to St Augustine's Abbey. The church was
in the ownership of St Augustine's Abbey until 1538 and then
the crown. It was united with All Saints in 1684 but had been
united with St Mary-de-Castro earlier.
REASON FOR DESIGNATION: The Church of St Mildred is designated
for the following principal reasons:
- It
is of exceptional importance for the survival of Saxon
walling reusing Roman fabric, indicating a large Saxon
church, plus a wealth of medieval fabric of various dates,
including medieval roofs and an early C16 chantry chapel
with heating;
- It
contains fine quality fittings including C15 and C16
woodwork, C17 and C18 wall monuments and stained glass by
notable firms;
- It
is one of only a handful of Anglo-Saxon churches surviving
in Kent.
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