Parish Church Of St Andrew

Parish Church of St Andrew

This parish church originated in the 12th century as part of a Benedictine Priory of St Albans Abbey, dissolved in 1536. It was significantly altered during the 13th and 15th centuries, and underwent major restoration in the 19th century. The building is constructed of flint and pebble rubble with limestone and clunch dressings and some brickwork, with tiled roofs.

The church comprises a nave and chancel that are structurally undivided, derived from the former priory nave. A fragment of the original central tower survives to the east, now destroyed except for the western arch (a plain 12th-century semicircular arch blocked by a 19th-century window). Adjoining buttresses on the north and south represent the western responds of the former tower arches.

The north wall contains an arcade of 5 bays with 2-centred arches of 2 chamfered orders and octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases. The 3 easternmost arches date to the 13th century; the western 2, with their piers and respond, are 15th-century. Above the eastern pier is a single round-headed light of circa 1100. The second pier has a groove cut in its southwest face for a former parochial rood-screen, and the wall above retains a blocked doorway at loft level with a plain oak frame on the north side. The south wall contains a 19th-century doorway and another arcade of 5 bays. West of the arcade is a high 13th-century lancet window, restored externally. The west wall features a much-restored 12th-century doorway of 2 orders: the inner order is plain, the outer decorated with chevron ornament. The jambs have round shafts with scalloped capitals and moulded abacus continued round the inner order as an impost. The 19th-century west doors incorporate panels with 4 shields cut away at the top, dating to circa 1500. The west window is 19th-century.

The roof was rebuilt in 1983 except for the 2 eastern bays. The eastern tiebeam is straight, moulded and crenellated, with a hole in the middle for a hanging lamp. The second tiebeam is cambered and moulded with wall pieces and moulded braces of 4-centred curvature, moulded principal rafters and collar, and moulded braces forming a continuous curve, dating to the late 15th or early 16th century. Roof structure of circa 1300 survives in the eastern bay, boarded to the soffit in 7 cants.

The north aisle was added in the late 13th century and rebuilt in the 15th century. It has an early 16th-century crenellated brick parapet on the north wall. The north wall contains 5 windows: the easternmost is of 2 trefoiled ogee lights with a trefoil in a 2-centred head with moulded label, early 14th-century; the second is 19th-century except for the 16th-century brick head and 14th-century fragments; the third is 19th-century except for 15th-century jambs, splays and 2-centred rear-arch; the fourth is of 2 cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a 2-centred head, 15th-century; the westernmost is 19th-century. Between the third and fourth windows is a semi-octagonal rood-stair turret entered by a late 15th or early 16th-century doorway with 4-centred head. The turret's crenellated coping is of 16th-century brick, repaired, with an isolated tabled buttress rising from the middle. Between the 2 westernmost windows is the early 15th-century north doorway, with jambs and 2-centred arch of 2 wave-moulded orders and moulded label. The 2-fold doors have heavy portcullis frames with V-notched joints and renewed planking. In the west wall is a 13th-century lancet window, restored externally.

The south aisle dates to circa 1820. The south vestry is late 16th-century brick construction of 2 storeys. The south wall has on the ground floor a late 16th-century window of 3 lights with ovolo-moulded jambs, restored mullions and square head, all of brick, and on the first floor 2 similar windows of 3 and 1 lights respectively. The east wall has a blocked doorway and on the first floor a similar window of 2 lights.

The chancel contains 4 brasses: (1) 2 shields and the indent of an inscription plate, 15th-century; (2) to an unnamed lady, descendant of the Bohuns, circa 1570, inscription only; (3) of John Allen, 1572, showing a kneeling figure of a man in civilian dress and lady with children, indents of 2 other wives, scroll, plate and 2 shields; (4) to Martha (Glascocke), wife of Edmund Aleyn, 1593. Floor-slabs in the chancel include one to Martha (Aleyn), wife of Joshua Blower, vicar, 1639. Floor-slabs in the north aisle commemorate John Godbold (166-), Daniel Coys (with achievement of arms), Daniell Coys, 1673 (with achievement of arms), and John Sharp, 1727. Other 18th-century floor-slabs were partly covered at the time of survey in January 1985.

Against the north wall of the chancel is an early 16th-century altar-tomb of marble with moulded slab. The south side has 4 cinquefoiled and 3 square traceried panels with 3 shields featuring rivets for former brasses. A cinquefoiled panel appears at each end, with a moulded plinth.

In the north aisle, on the sill of the second window from the east, is a recumbent effigy of a man in plain gown with hood, his head on a cushion supported by angels and feet on a lion, dating to the late 13th century but mutilated.

A screen in the east bay of the north arcade, not in situ, has a moulded cornice, doorway and 4 open bays all with trefoiled, sub-cusped and traceried heads and close lower panels, mid-15th-century, restored.

In the chancel are 3 bench ends with carved and traceried panels decorated with poppies, foliage and human heads including a king, queen, 2 bearded heads and 2 female heads, late 14th-century, made up with modern benches.

Immediately east of the north doorway is a stoup with septfoiled head and broken basin, 15th-century.

The windows of the north and south aisles contain glass, not in situ, collected by John Wright in the 18th century. Most is English glass of the 16th century and Flemish glass of the 16th and 17th centuries, including the royal arms of Elizabeth.

A niche of uncertain date in the north wall of the nave, above the third pier, has a flat arched head and retains traces of red paint. A further 15th-century niche in the east splay of the easternmost window of the north aisle has a circular head.

Paintings recorded by the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England have largely disappeared.