Walking to Church Of St Cosmas And St Damian from The King’s Head — 3.1-Mile Circular via North Downs Way

TR 04 NW CHALLOCK CHURCH LANE (east end) 5/2 Church of St. Cosmas and St. Damian 27.ll.57 II* Parish church. Nave C13, north aisle and north-east chapel C14, C15 tower and south aisle windows; chancel restored 1871-3; general restoration 1895; nave arcade and south porch reconstructed 1950 – 58. Flint, knapped in chancel, rubble with ashlar quoins and dressings and plain tile roof. West tower, nave, aisles, south porch, chancel and north-east chapel. Tower in 3 stages, offset, on plinth, with diagonal buttresses, string course, and battlements. Square stair turret in angle with south aisle, with octagonal battlemented top. South aisle with 3 offset buttresses, string course and parapet. North aisle with weathered plinth and 1 single and 1 double width buttress and angle buttress. 3 light C15 Perpendicular west window in tower under an ashlar strainer arch, with 2 light Perp. window over. Upper storey has 2 light Perp. windows on 3 faces, with single lights to stair turret. South-west window C14 ogee headed single light with 2 carved grotesque heads. South aisle with, to west, 2 light C15 Perp. window with renewed mullion in square headed opening with drip-mould and carved-head stops; to east C19 Perp. style tracery with multilated carved ends to moulding. South east window C15 Perp., 2 light with 4 lights over and drip mould extended left and right. North west window C14 single light ogee-headed. North aisle with to west C14 geometric 2 light windows, much repaired C19, and to east 3 light C15 Perp. with drip mould. Chapel east window C19 decorated style. Chancel south wall with west C19 2 light Perp. style; original C13 lancet; east a 2 light Perp. style. Chancel east window C19 Perp. style of 3 lights with 6 lights over. West door much repaired plank and batten, with doubled roll and hollow moulded surround; drip mould with ragstone strainer arch with ashlar keystone over. C20 south door and porch, and plain chamfered north doorway with traces of a lost porch. Interior: C15 tower arch with octagonal attached shafts. Nave of 3 bays. South west and 2 north west piers are late C13, round, barely undercut mouldings. Rest of arcade is C20 following bomb damage 1944. North aisle and north east chapel of one build in C14, as wide and tall as nave, with large plinth and string course in chapel. No chancel arch, long low chancel now basically of 1871 – 3, step up from nave, C20 arch through to north-east chapel. Cont… Fittings: holy water stoop by south door; wall bracket on south aisle east wall; ogee-headed piscina in chancel; plain chamfered piscina and stepped stone bench for sedillia in chapel. Octagonal, C19 font. Screens: 3 bay C15 Perp. screen to tower, with traceried lights and carved panels. Screen from north aisle to chapel is C15 Perp. cut down to fit, now of 3½ bays of 4 traceried lights with central double door. The large cross beam over has traces of fittings for rood loft and next to the screen in the north wall is spiral rood-stair with hollow chamfered doorways with 4 centred arches, and hinge brackets. Chancel screen, and return screen from chancel to chapel is C19, from Eastwell church, inserted 1895, of 7 bays to nave, and 7 bays to chapel. In the chapel C15 moulded candle beam with moulded spandrels. Fragmentary C15 glass in north aisle windows, and angels and shields with other fragments in south aisle east window. Brass in south aisle, 2 figures 1 foot high to Thomas Thorston, died 1504, and “Johan his wyff.” Group of floor slabs in chancel, one with brass plaque, 1614 to “Searlis Hawker and Joane his wife.” Listing NGR: TR0114449196