Mark Cross – St Mark

The parish was formed from parts of Rotherfield and Wadhurst in 1874.  The small brick chapel with stone dressings has a bellcote.  Its origin as a school, for which Elleray provides the date of 1851 ((2004) p40), is revealed in particular by the big porch, placed centrally in the nave.  The school moved to an adjacent site and E E Cronk (GRI) adapted it as a church in 1873 (CDK 1873 pt 2 p97).  He made few structural changes, though the over-sized east window, with five lights of heavy tracery probably dates from this time and so may the addition on the north side which is now used by the school.  This has a boarded roof unlike the open timbers in the main church.   The whole structure looks very old fashioned for the date.  The only visible later change is a clock on the porch, which is dated 1897.

Fitting

Font: Plain C19 octagonal.