Church Of St Vincent

TL 23 NW NEWNHAM CALDECOTE ROAD (North east side) 3/133 Church of 27.5.68 St. Vincent

GV II*

Parish Church, some of nave walling possibly C12. Chancel rebuilt or lengthened early C13; S aisle and W tower c.1340 or earlier. 1420-40 repairs by John of Wheathampstead, Abbot of St. Albans, probably including E window, stair turret and S porch. Renovated 1881. Clunch rubble masonry with dressed stone visible on stair turret. Cement rendered with incised lines to imitate ashlar. Roof not visible, tiles on S porch. Nave: 3 bays. N wall has chamfered arched blocked entrance to right and to left a single square headed C15 window of two cinquefoiled lights - this the only window in the Church without a C19 label mould. Three square headed two light C15 clerestorey windows above. Similar S clerestorey. Chancel: N wall has two simple early C13 lancets. E window of C15 form: three lights below unusual tracery. S wall with small doorway between 2 windows of 2 trefoiled lights and pierced heads. S aisle: blocked window on E wall, 2 windows with C19 tracery on S wall. C15 two light window on W wall. S porch: C15 four centred arch entrance under a square head with mask label stops and moulded reveals, blank shields in quatrefoils in spandrels. 2 light trefoiled windows on E and W walls of porch. Tower: tall 2 light cinquefoiled window with pierced head under pointed arch to W wall. Four bell chamber 2 light trefoiled windows under square heads. Semi octagonal stair turret. Two stage angle buttresses to tower. Two stage diagonal buttresses on chancel and S aisle with similar straight buttresses to N wall and S aisle. Battle- mented parapet throughout over string course; chancel parapet added C19. Interior: chancel arch; two chamfered orders, no responds. S arcade has 4 bays with octagonal shafts, moulded bases and capitals, pointed arches of two chamfered orders. Tower arch with similar details plus label. N and S walls of tower carried on arches springing from W wall and return of tower arch. Door to stair turret in SE corner of tower. Chamfered arch entrance from S aisle to S porch under segmental rear arch. Plank door with two wrought iron strap hinges in situ, probably C15. S porch roof with C15 roof timbers; moulded principals, purlins and collars, brattished cornices with timber carved angels to E and W. Remains of wall paintings survive on N wall: late C15 St. Christopher opposite entrance. Fragments of wheel design to right. To E of eastern nave window a hooded figure; also a consecration cross of unusual form on SE face of stair turret. C15 octagonal font at W end of nave with panels of cusped quatrefoils enclosing blank shields on bowl and cinquefoil headed panels on shaft. Some quarries of C15 glass in W window of S aisle and in S clerestorey. Two brass memorials at E end of chancel. (VCH 1923. Pevsner 1977. E. Clive Rouse The Newnham Murals 1963).

Listing NGR: TL2433437637