St Mary's Church, Frittenden, Kent

St Mary's Church, Frittenden Church

Image Source: Rob Baker

The church of St. Mary at Frittenden had existed since the 13th century but had been in ruins following a lighting strike in 1790. Between 1846 and 1848 a complete rebuild took place with only the bottom levels of the 15th century west tower and some material in the north wall of the chancel remaining from the original church. The architect was R. C. Hussey (Richard Charles Hussey) from Birmingham based architectural firm Rickman and Hussey. The cost of the restoration was £6000, paid for by the rector Edward Moore. A new chancel, south aisle and south chapel were built, together with north and south entrance porches. The north porch today is used as a vestry. The smaller north aisle was added in 1861. This was funded as a private aisle for the owners of nearby Frittenden House and Comenden Manor. Today it houses the organ - built by Peter Conacher & Co in 1907. The organ was originally at the east end of the south aisle but was moved to the north aisle in 2015 when the south chapel area was modernised into a two storey facility containing an upper meeting room looking down into the church with kitchen and toilet facilities below. The west tower and tall spire were added in 1881. The stained-glass east window was designed by Bucknall and Comper and installed in 1891, while while the east window in the north aisle was designed by Ward and Hughes. It was erected in memory of three of Rev. Edward Moore's children. Fragments of the medieval church exists in the north wall of the chancel. Tucked behind the altar are two memorial stones and a brass plaque honouring previous incumbents. Hussey worked these memorials into the wall behind the altar. (It is assumed that their remains are close by - possibly even under the reconstructed floor of the sanctuary). Most of the furnishings date from Hussey's 1846-48 restoration. The wooden pews, choir stalls and pulpit are from this era, as is the carved stone font and tall wooden cover. The font sits in front of the tower arch, which is largely 15th century. The carved altar is wooden and dates from 1925. Its original patterning was covered by the altar frontal. The church also contains a plaster bas-relief of a Christ Angel carved by Ernst Reitschel (died 1861), the founder of the Dresden School of Sculpture. This was the inspiration for the Angels Mural around the chancel arch which was painted by artist Penn Norris in 2010. Text by Rob Baker

1851 Census Details

Seating Capacity: 455

Morning Attendance: 192

Afternoon Attendance: 252

Evening Attendance: No service

Architecture Details

Original Build Date/Architect: Hussey 1846

Restoration:

Second Restoration:

Notes

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