Page:Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.djvu/115

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been validated.
NOTES TO KENT.
79

good pasture produced after clearing away the wood, the situation being high and downy.—St. Nicholas Hospital possesses a curious maple bowl, of which the rim is silver gilt, at the bottom is a medallion engraved with the legend of Guy of Warwick, with these words, "Gy de Warwic Adanoun Feei (or icci or ycci) occis le Dragoun." (Nicholls's Biblioth.Topog. Brit. I, 1790.)

156. Herne.—A Dec. and Perp. church; anciently a chapel to Reculver, and so styled in (Val. Eccl.); constituted a vicarage A.D. 1296, (and endowed by Archb. Rob. Winchelsea. Somner.) Brasses: Christian Phelp, 1470; Eliz. Lady Fineux, 1539; John Darley, vicar (date lost); Peter Hall and wife. (Hasted.) Mr. Boutell describes the last named, of Sir Pet. Hall, as "a fine specimen of complete plate armour," of A.D. 1420. (Monum. Brasses, 55, 62, 90.)

157. Herne Hill.—Originally only a chapelry to Boughton-under-the-Blean. (A.D. 1291) "Vicarius ecclesie de Harnhelle."

158. Hever.—Church consists of chancel, nave, south porch (of brick), north aisle, late Perp. chapel (that of the Boleyns) on the north side of the chancel, and west tower with shingled spire. The piers and arches between the nave and aisle may be E.E., but the tower, including the screen under the arch, and other parts of the church are Dec.; but the building, like many others, was probably repaired at that period. The ascent to the belfry is by solid timber stairs. In the south wall of the interior of the tower is a tomb arch, with an ogée canopy, under which is now fixed the inscription from a grave-slab in the pavement below, to John de Cobham, 1399. On the outside of the south wall of nave, toward the east end, is a projection resembling an enormously wide (four or five feet) Norm, buttress, and therein is the frame, plastered up, of either a small Norm, window or a niche. The east window is debased Perp. The windows of the tower are, some Dec., some Perp. Brasses: Marg. Cheyne, 1499 (comp. below) ; on an altar tomb, Sir Tho. Boleyn, 1538; Will. Todde, small, hands joined in prayer, 1585. For notices of the Cheyne and Boleyne brasses see (Monum. Brasses, 87 note 2, 113, 135, 147); in which work the former is styled a "fine brass," the date being given as A.D. 1417. The castle, or rather castellated mansion, the residence of Sir Tho. Boleyn, retains its old arrangements, little, if at all, altered.

159. Higham—Was anciently called Lillechurch (Reg. Roff.), though it appears from (D. B.) that this must have been subsequently to the Survey. In an early enumeration of churches