Page:Notes on the churches in the counties of Kent, Sussex, and Surrey.djvu/136

98 very long desecrated, is now the district church of St. Peter, but has been altered from its original condition.—The above-named History notices the chapel of Loddington, a place included within the present parish of Maidstone, but which, though said to have been esteemed a rectory, is not alluded to in either (A.D. 1291) or (Val. Eccl.) Vestiges of the church were visible not many years since. (Poste, ut sup. 105.) Loddington lies two and a half or three miles south of Maidstone, and the estate comprises 800 or 900 acres.—The town of Maidstone possessed likewise two small chapels, St. John's and St. Anne's: the former, mentioned in a document of A.D. 1540, seems to have stood on the east side of Stone-street, about one hundred yards from the bridge over the river Lenn; the site of the latter was near the outlet of the town toward Rochester. (Poste, ut sup. 48, 51, 52, 67.)—"The meadows opposite the palace and college" (i.e. on the farther side of the river Medway) "are called the Park Meadows, a name derived from a park, pleasure ground, or garden of some extent, which the archbishop formerly had here." (Poste, ut sup. 119.)—About the year 1822 a small image of bronze and a lamp, both Roman, were dug up in the garden at Newark. (Poste, ut sup. 106.)—A description of All Saints Church has been published by Mr. J. Whichcord jun., 4to, Lond. 1845.

209. —The churches have been placed one opposite to each parish, because (D.B.) describes one Malling as the property of the Archb. of Canterbury, the other as belonging to the Bp. of Rochester; and to the present day East Malling has remained a peculiar of the archbishop, though being, like West Malling, within the diocese of Rochester: And it may here be remarked, that such notices should never be overlooked, especially when a difficulty occurs in identifying any place mentioned in (D.B.), because they will sometimes, though not always, render considerable assistance; as in the present case.—The churches of St. Mary (the Abbey) and St. Leonard are mentioned about A.D. 1249. (Reg. Roff., 481.)—Newhithe Chapel on the Medway in the parish of East Malling, and St. Leonard's Chapel in West Malling are both alluded to in (Thorpe's Cust. Roff.).—Under the estimation of the possessions of St. Mary's Hospital in Strood (Val. Eccl.) notices the chapel of St. Blase in Malling, but I find no other account of it.

East Malling Church.—Brasses: Tho. Selby and wife Isodia, 1479; Rich. Adams, vicar, 1522. (Reg. Roff.)—Larkfield, whence the hundred is named, lies within this parish. (Harris.)