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All Saints, Chillenden

All Saints Church is a small structure which stands next to the road on raised ground. It was built by William de Northwic in about 1180 and was restored by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1871, who also added a small shingle spire. There are Norman doorways on the north and south sides, a 14^th century piscina and a Jacobean pulpit. There are also tiny pieces of old glass in the heads of most windows.

All Saint's Chillenden 

Chillenden Church is not mentioned in the Domesday Survey, and it is probable that it did not exist until some time after the Conquest.  This church appears to have been built by William de Northwic, who was in possession of the Manor, about the year 1180, and it is recorded that about that time he presented it to the Leeds Priory.  That Priory was established in the year 1119 by Robert de Crevequer, a member of a family which held many grants of lands in these parts in connection with Dover Castle, and no doubt William de Northwic held under them and gave this church, as were also given revenues from the churches of Ham, Barfreston, and Woodnesborough to the Leeds Abbey.  But although the said William de Northwic have this church, probably at the time it was build to that Priory, the Prior and Convent never obtained the appropriation of it, but contented themselves by drawing eight shillings a year from it, and so the church remained until the dissolution of that Priory in the 31^st year of Henry VIII, when the advowson, together with that ancient pension, went to the Crown, but the pension of eight shillings a year went to the Dean and Chapter of Rochester, who were still receiving it in the nineteenth century, and probably are now.

Chillenden Church is dedicated to All Saints.  Hasted, writing of it about a hundred years ago, says: ‘It is a mean building, very small, consisting of a body and a chancel.  In the windows are the remains of some very handsome painted glass.  There is a handsome zig-zag mounding and circular arch over the north door.  There is likewise a circular arch, but plainer, over the south door’.  This was written in the days of the Rev Robert Pitman’s rectorship, and it is possible that after re-building the rectory he or his successor did something to improve the church, for although it is still small, it is not mean it is just an ideal, simple unpretentious village church where rich and poor may meet together and forget all social distinctions while worshipping God the make of them all.  In noting down the special features of the fabric, the door under the north porch arrests attention.  The builder, whoever he was, must have resolved that, although he was putting up a small and plain structure, it should not be wholly with our ornament, therefore he instructed his masons to expend some skillful work on that portal, hence the fine zig-zag and alternate fillet mouldings over the carefully sculptured Christian symbol which is placed above the lintel.  But this builder, while lavishing ornamentation on the chief portal next the roadway, through which it might be, the Bishop would enter to consecrate, and the Prior to approve of the pious work of his patron’s tenant, does not seem to have risen to the level of the ancient workers who expended labour and skill unstintingly on the unseen parts.  The southern doorway – out of  view – was left undorned because Bishops and Priors,  unlike the Gods, do not see everywhere.  The actual existing work in this north door is probably comparatively modern, but it is doubtless a more or less faithful restoration of the original work put there by the first builder in the days when William de Northwic held the Manor under the Crevequers, and presented this church as a pious gift to the Priory at Leeds.

The external appearance of the windows of the church also afford evidence of a desire for embellishment.  The east and west windows are doubtless copies of the style of the originals, though more ornate, but the side ones are in the Perpendicular style, and were inserted evidently at a later date to replace the narrow pointed lights which would be in keeping with the fashion prevailing when this church was new.  Another effort of the builder to differentiate the plain body of this small church from a barn or other secular building was the picturesque octagonal west turret with its broach spire.  Passing on to the interior of the church its plain simplicity is its most striking feature.  The seating is substantial and so is the ancient framework of stone and timber which supports the belfry and spire.  The chancel screen and pulpit are innocent of the meretricious aid of varnish but the wood nevertheless had been skillfully carved.  The bordering of the pulpit and the backboard and canopy of the pulpit show good examples of the art as plied in the Jacobean period, and the screen is evidently by a deferent hand and of a later date.  Still later probably is the decorative work in the chancel ceiling, consisting of stars and crowns, covering the space between the rafters.  In the arrangement of the chancel there are evidences of two distinct periods.  The aumbry on the north and the piscena in the south recall the time when the church followed the practices of the Church of Rome prevailed here and the plain communion table, far plainer than is to be found in most churches, with the words, ‘It is finished’ in bold letter over it are evidences of a rigid adherence to the state of things introduced at the reformation.  The font of Caen stone, octagonal is massive, but quite plain, has a specially large bowl, and bears the marks of antiquity.  The present rector of Chillenden is the Rev Mr Bevan, who has recently come to the parish, as the successor of the Rev Edward Kissack BA, who in 1879 succeeded the Rev Edward Tritton Gurney BA.

MURAL AND CHURCHYARD MEMORIALS

There are but few monuments in this church, and none of them ancient.  On the south wall there is tablet to the Rev Robert Pitman, 31 years rector of this parish, instituted 1776, and died 1807, aged 85 years: also to Penelope, his wife, who died 1801, aged 76 year, to which is appended the following inscription:

 "The toils of life and pangs of death are o’er,

And care, and pain, and sickness are no more."

Another tablet, having a crest over it, is to George Mutter, of Edgeware, Middlesex, died at the rectory, his son’s, 1813.  Also to his wife, Elizabeth, who died 1815, and both were buried in a vault in this church.  There is one other tablet to the memory of the Rev Gorge Mutter, AM, son of the above, who died 1843 was 36 years rector of this parish, 13 years minister of Broadway Church, Westminster, the first who put down Sunday trading in that part.  He was patron and incumbrant of Whitchurch otherwise Little Stanmore, Middlesex.  ‘His body is buried in a vault in the chancel of this church.  His spirit is with God.’  The more ancient of the gravestones in the churchyard have these incriptions; Stephen Paramor, died 1750, aged 74: also Dorothy, his wife, died 1762, aged 88, and under their names,

"Dear friends, lament for us no more,

We are not lost, but gone before."

 Another stone records the death of William Bullock, 1786, aged 60, and his wife Judith 1793, aged 70.  These stones are in better preservation than some of later date.  The Churchyard has several yew trees.

This article was taken from the Dover Gazette of 1929.

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