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ST JOHNS COMMANDERY

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

ST JOHNS FARMHOUSE, ST JOHNS CHAPEL, SWINGFIELD HOSPITALLERS PRECEPTORY

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The chapel known as St John's Commandery close to the village of Swingfield. It was built by the Knights Hospitallers in the 13th century as part of a preceptory founded in 1180 on the site of the nunnery of the Sisters of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. The chapel is the only surviving building, although traces of other buildings survive as earthworks to the south and west of the chapel. The chapel and part of an adjoining hall were converted into a farmhouse after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1540. Further alterations were made during the 18th century and 19th century. It was restored in 1972-74. It appears that the chapel was situated to the east of a courtyard. The cemetery lay to the northeast of the chapel.

The building is constructed of flint, and has three lancet windows in the east wall which are original. The crown-post roof structure was tree-ring dated and an estimated felling date for the roof timbers was given in the range AD 1395-1405, suggesting it was a later replacement. The chapel has a piscine (stone basin where sacred vessels were washed), and an aumbrey (cupboard for the communion vessels). To the east of the south doorway is the consecration cross carved on the wall. The two-stoey porch on the north wall indicates that the west end of the building always had an upper floor and was once in domestic use. The central chimney stack dates from the 16th century, and the ground floor parlour has a ceiling of the same period. Doors led from this room to the south wing (now demolished). There is a pointed-arched opening of 13th century date to the room above the porch. The chapel is in the care of English Heritage.

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[TR 23234401] St John's Chapel [NR] (1)

The Sisters of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem had a house at Swingfield until circa 1180 when the Knights Hospitallers established a preceptory which was dissolved in 1540. The 13th century chapel at St. John's Farm is the only remaining building. It was converted into a dwelling after the Dissolution and altered again more recently (Full architectural description in (4)). Traces of walls are visible in dry summers in the ground south and west of the chapel and a few rough stones show above the ground about 35 yards west of the chapel and the ground is very uneven in this direction; from this it seems that the chapel lies to the east of a courtyard formerly containing several buildings and that the gateway was where the present road enters the yard. The cemetery lay to the north-east of the chapel. (2-4)

The chapel remains are as described; it is no longer occupied as a dwelling house and is in a very poor state of repair. The "rough stones" are no longer visible.
See G.P. A.O./64/142/3. (5)

(TR 23234401) St John's Chapel (NR) remains of (NAT) (6)

Dugdale states that Swingfield was of the Knights Templars prior to the Knights Hospitallers, but this is wrong. (7-8)

St. John's Commandery was taken into the care of the DOE in 1978. (9)

It preserves a fine moulded plaster ceiling and a remarkable medieval timber roof. The Commandery is open to the public, but with access for pre-arranged parties only. (It is evident from the photograph in Authy 9 that the chapel has now been restored and is in a very good state of repair). (10)

Additional bibliography. (11-13)

St John's Commandery Commandery or Preceptory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, latterly a farmhouse, now an English Heritage Monument. 13th and 16th century with 18th and 19th century alterations, restored in 1972-4. Grade 2*. (14)

Dendrochronological analysis of samples from fourteen oak timbers of the roof of St John's Commandery resulted in the production of a site chronology consisting of nine of these samples. This site chronology was dated as spanning the period AD 1312 - 1382 and as giving an estimated felling date in the range AD 1395 - 1405. It thus appears that the present roof is a replacement of an original or earlier one. (15)

A brief history and description. (16)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)230,247

( 3) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Elham Rural District, Kent, SEP-1960 Page(s)53

( 4) Kent records

illust (C Cotton) 11, 1930 Page(s)59-67

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 FGA 24-APR-64

( 6) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 1:10000 1977

( 7) General reference

Monastican Anglicanum (Dugdale) 1846 (Ed J Caley et al)

( 8) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)284,301-7

( 9) Ancient Monuments Board for England annual report

photo 25, 1978 Page(s)13-14

( 10) General reference

English Heritage (Ed Reed) 1987 (Lord Montagu) Page(s)206

( 11) by John Newman 1983 North east and east Kent

The Buildings of England Page(s)473

( 12) edited by William Page 1926 The Victoria history of the county of Kent, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)176

( 13) Kent Archaeological Society Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent

JF Wadmore 22, 1897 Page(s)260-4

( 14) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Shepway, Kent, 17-OCT-1988 1418 Page(s)130-1

(15) English Heritage Ancient Monuments Laboratory reports

'Tree-ring analysis of timbers from St John¿s Commandery, Swingfield, Kent', by Howard, R E, Laxton, R R, Litton, C D 74/1997

(16) English Heritage 2005 Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East

Page(s)44-45

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