West Malling Abbey: St Mary
Diocese of Rochester
Chapel, 831003
Overview
Grid reference: TQ 682 577
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Description of Archaeology and History
St Mary’s Abbey was founded as a Community of Benedictine Nuns in c1090 by the Norman Monk-Bishop Gundulf of Rochester. After its dissolution by Henry VIII it passed into secular ownership. In the late 19th century the Abbey was restored to its original purpose by a charitable trust founded by Charlotte Boyd. Since 1916 the Abbey Community has resided in this historic place of prayer and gratefully entered into its heritage of place and God-centred quiet.
Exterior Description
According to Historic England's List Entry:
Abbey convent church. 1964-6 by Maguire and Murray. Concrete block walls, incorporating reinforced concrete ring beams at the top of the walls and drum. Reinforced concrete slab lower roofs are internally board-marked, and clad in pantiles; timber upper roof stained green and blue is tile-clad. Rectangular church space under cylindrical upper drum, the latter likened by Maguire to a ‘double oast house’, with side chapel for guests to north with its own entrance and interview room reached from the grounds with pine boarding and roof. The nuns enter the church through a Norman door, largely blocked by Maguire and Murray. The chapel with funnel-shaped top-light. Church with round-arched clerestory windows, which pivot but which do not have external frames. There is another ring of glazing in the roof. Guest chapel entrance and interview room wrapped round the chapel; these are fully glazed above low sill and have a large porch with an inscription by Ralph Beyer on Edgehill stone commemorating the architects and builders. He also designed the foundation stone.
Interior
Interior Description
Historic England's List Entry describes:
Interior has siz columns inserted in 1972. The body of the church has a low seat round its edge, a pavioured floor levelled in 1972, and a forward altar, foreshortened in 1972. Maguire and Murray’s nuns’ stalls are severely geometric in style, and of beech-faced blockboard, with simpler bench seating to guest chapel which has cork flooring. Lighting if from hanging glass spheres. In the entrance chapel a Doulton firkin vat set in concrete is used as a stoup and (occasionally) as a font.
Churchyard
Grid reference: TQ 682 577
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
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