[TQ 83184420] Church (NAT) (1) The nave and tower of Headcorn Church are late 14th century with some earlier work; the aisle porch and roof are early 15th century. Grade A. (2) St. Peter and St. Paul (church notices). The church is in regular use for ecclesiastical purposes. (3) Checked and correct. (4) Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Grade I. 13th, late 14th and 15th centuries. Restored 1854-5, 1868 and 1878. (5)(6) (9)

Description from record TQ 84 SW 140:
The following text is from the original listed building designation:
HEADCORN TQ 8344
10/28 Church of St. Peter and 26.4.68 St. Paul
GV I
Parish church. 13th century, late 14th century and 15th century. Restored 1854-5 and 1868 by Clarke, and 1878 by G.M. Hills. Bethersden marble with plain tile roofs. West tower. Nave, continuous with chancel to south, slightly projecting to north. South aisle, continuous with south chancel chapel, flush with east end of chancel. South porch with parvis chamber. West tower: late C14. Three stages, on moulded plinth . Angle buttresses. Battlements above moulded string. Polygonal north-east stair turret with plain parapet higher than tower. East and west belfry windows of 2 lights with vertical bars, quatrefoil and hoodmould. North and south belfry windows of 3 trefoil-headed lights with squared hoodmould. Single trefoil-headed light to central stage to west and rectangular light with iron bars to north and south. West window of 3 cinquefoil-headed lights with inter- secting tracery incorporating inverted mouchettes. 2-centred arched casement-moulded architrave. Hoodmould with carved heads to label stops and 4 carved grotesques beneath hoodmould. Rectangular panel below window with sunk quatrefoil and shield. 2-centred arched west doorway with casement-moulded architrave, slender moulded shaft to each side, carved spandrels and squared moulded hoodmould with carved heads as label stops. South aisle and south chapel: late 14th century, chapel with 13th century origins, possibly refenestrated in 15th century. Moulded stone plinth. South-west and south-east angle buttresses. Battlements above moulded string. South aisle has three windows, each of 3 slightly stepped cinquefoil-headed lights and hoodmould; one to west end and one either side of porch. South chapel has three 4-centred arched 2-light windows with hoodmoulds, alternating with buttresses. Low 2-centred arched doorway with renewed architrave. Restored east window of 5 traceried lights with hoodmould. South porch: probably late 14th century. Moulded stone plinth. Battlements above moulded string. Polygonal north-west stair turret with plain parapet. Small rectangular north and south lights to porch and slightly larger lights with hoodmoulds to chamber. 2-centred arched casement-moulded outer doorway with hoodmould. 2-centred arched Bethersden marble inner doorway, with hoodmould and ribbed door. Chancel: 13th century origin. Refenestrated, probably in late 14th century or 15th century. Presently without plinth. Single buttress. Gabled. Tall restored 2-centred arched traceried east window with 3 cinquefoil-headed lights below and 3 above central transom. Hoodmould. Two north windows; that to east set higher with 2 trefoil-headed lights and hoodmould; that to west with moulded architrave, 2 cinquefoil-headed lights, tracery of vertical bars, and hoodmould. Nave: north elevation: probably late C14. Moulded plinth, continuous with that of tower. Four 3-light traceried windows (incorporating inverted daggersl,with moulded architraves and hoodmoulds, alternating with buttresses. Interior: structure: 5-bay nave arcade to south of pointed arches with hollow chamfer and semi roll. 2 west arches with lower heads. Octagonal columns, with moulded capitals and bases of Bethersden marble. East column of arcade free-standing, also forming springing for chancel arch, chancel aqcade, and arch between south chapel and south aisle. Chancel arch and arch between chapel and aisle similar to south arcade. 2-bay chancel arcade of plain-chamfered pointed arches. Chamfered rectangular pier with undercut and roll-moulded abacus. Deeply moulded pointed-arched tower arch, with attached shafts, the capitals moulded similarly to those of south arcade. 4-centred arched hollow- chamfered doorway to rood-loft stairs to east end of north wall of nave. 3-centred arched doorway with semi roll moulding to tower stairs. 2- centred arched hollow-chamfered doorway to parvis chamber stairs. Low 4-centred arched hollow-chamfered north doorway to chancel. Small rectangular light to parvis chamber. Roof: Late 14th century or early 15th century collar- rafter roof to nave of 7 trusses (5½ bays), with moulded aligned butt purlins. Heavily moulded composite solid-spandrel arch-braces to collars, moulding continued down pendant posts. Hollow-chamfered windbraces, with carved spandrels between windbraces and purlins. Above collars, heavy- scantling scissor braces halved across yokes. Ashlar-pieces between bases of scissor-braces and tops of purlins, and between rafters and cornice. Moulded and brattished cornice. Chancel roof boarded in 7 cants. Lean-to roofs to south chapel and aisle. Fittings: Rectangular hollow-chamfered piscina to east end of south wall of south aisle. Similar but larger piscina to east end of south wall of chapel. Cinquefoil-headed piscina to east end of chancel. Octagonal 15th century font with carved concave sides, shafted octagonal stem and moulded base on octagonal stone plinth, to south side of south arcade. Screen base partly early 16th century, with variety of linenfold panelling, and frieze carved differently in each section. Pulpit of 1878 with re-used linenfold panelling. Inlaid hexagonal tester. Painted panels, probably from 17th century or 18 th century reredos, depicting Moses and Aaron. Royal Arms above tower arch. 1787 Benefactors' Board to south wall of nave. 4 boards with Creed and Decalogue to south wall of nave. Decoration: 15th century stained glass to heads of north nave and south aisle windows. Monuments: 15th century tomb recess towards east end of south wall of south aisle, with Culpeper arms to spandrels; low Bethersden marble table tomb with corniced lid set into recess spanned by broad 4-centred arch, cusped and subcusped, with large leaves over cusps and slender shaft each side with moulded capital and base. Quatrefoiled spandrels and squared moulded and embattled hoodmould. 18th century tablet to east wall of chancel, in black and white marble, with moulded plinth on shaped base panel, flanking pilasters, and moulded open-topped pediment with escutcheon. Inscription barely legible at time of re-survey. [J. Newman, B.O.E., West Kent and the Weald, 19801.
Listing NGR: TQ8318244204 (10)

HE archive material: OP25030 View of the tomb of John Pynde outside St Peter and St Paul's Church, Headcorn

<1> OS 6' Prov edit 1961 (OS Card Reference). SKE48300.

<2> MHLG Hollingbourne RD 2153/11/A Nov 1960 35 (OS Card Reference). SKE47124.

<3> F1 ASP 08-FEB-61 (OS Card Reference). SKE41996.

<4> F2 CFW 15-JAN-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE43243.

<5> DOE(HHR) Borough of Maidstone Kent 21 November 1986 15-16 (OS Card Reference). SKE40866.

<6> Bldgs of Eng-West Kent & the Weald 1980 319-320 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE38143.

<7> Field report for monument TQ 84 SW 2 - February, 1961 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4384.

<8> Field report for monument TQ 84 SW 2 - January, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4385.

<9> Diocese of Canterbury (Hugh Richmond), 2001, Headcorn, St Peter & St Paul:Diocesan church survey (Unpublished document). SKE29629.

<10> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.