All Saints

C15, with alterations of 1853 and 1876.

Plain tile roofs.

West tower: C15.

squared moulded hoodmould with carved heads of bishop and king to label stops.

South aisle: of late C12 origin, with C13, C14 and C19 alterations.

Porch: C13, set towards centre of south aisle.

Tall C13 pointed-arched plain-chamfered inner doorway with broach stops, with rare C12 boarded door made for round-headed doorway and cut down to fit C13 arch.

C12 and C13 decorative ironwork to door with 5 tendrilled straps, C hinges with bestial heads, fish and a fishing boat, a flying dragon with snake and crescent, crosses, and other motifs , English Romanesque Art 1066-1200 (exhibition catalogue), 1984).

South chancel chapel: C13 origins, rebuilt in C15.

C15 pointed-archer traceried 3-light south-west window with hoodmould.

Chancel: C13, possibly with earlier origins.

Two early C14 north windows, one 2-light, one single-light, with depressed ogee cinquefoiled-headed lights and reticulated tracery.

Squint, rectangular to outside, circular towards inside, between the two early C14 windows,and formerly communicating between chancel and anchorite's cell.

Nave: C12.

Interior: structure: 5-bay south arcade to nave of doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches, springing from late C12

C13 piers and columns, semi-octagonal west end pier with square abacus and spurred base, then 4 alternating circular and octagonal columns with moulded capitals

East half of fourth column, east end pier and arch rebuilt in C14.

Three-bay C13 south arcade to chancel, with 2 circular columns with moulded capitals and water-holding bases, and doubly plain-chamfered pointed arches dying into walls.

C15 tower arch with engaged columns with moulded capitals and bases, and trebly hollow-chamfered pointed arch.

Chancel arch and arch between south aisle and south chancel chapel 1853, in a late medieval style.

Roof: C19 barrel roof to nave with moulded pendant posts on carved stone corbels.

Largely medieval crown-post roof to south aisle, with 6 moulded octagonal crown-posts, sous-laces, and ashlar-pieces.

South chancel chapel has late medieval wagon roof with curved ashlar-pieces and sous-laces, and in which side purlins and collar purlin are moulded with thick central roll with leaf chamfer-stops.

Stoup with depressed ogee head with carved foliage to borders, beside doorway to south chancel chapel.

Defaced rectangular stone font on 4 short later shafts.

TQ7842 : All Saints, Staplehurst - Font

© John Salmon

16 early C16 wooden panels set in tower ceiling, carved with shears, staples, pomegranate etc. Brass chandelier to nave dated 1808.

Royal arms of 1764 under tower, and late C19 Benefactors and Parish Fees boards.

Monuments: tablet on south wall of south aisle to Henry Hoare, d.182(8?) Ionic columns on plain corniced plinth, with plain frieze and moulded triangular pediment with antefixae.

Free-standing chest tomb in south chancel chapel to Walter Mayney, d.1577, and 2 wives.

Plain stone top in darker stone, formerly with 3 brasses of which one, of a wife, remains.