Minsden Chapel At North East Corner Of Minsden Plantation Grid Reference Tl 1982 2458

Minsden Chapel is a ruined chapel located at the northeast corner of Minsden Plantation, likely dating from the 14th century and mentioned in 1450. By the end of the 17th century, it had fallen into ruin. The chapel is constructed of flint rubble with external plaster and features stone dressings. There are remains of a red brick bellcote at the west gable. It was a small two-cell church, comprising a nave and a narrow square-ended chancel. Diagonal buttresses are present at the east end of the chancel and the west end of the nave, while a set-back corner buttress at the east end of the nave suggests that the church was built as a single structure. There are two additional buttresses on each side of the nave. A line of creasing on the lower chancel roof is visible at the east end of the nave. The south side of the nave has a central doorway and two window openings, while the north doorway is located further to the west in the same bay. Much of the south wall of the nave remains standing at full height, and the west wall has putlog holes at three levels. The north wall is more fragmentary. There is a rough opening for the chancel arch in the east wall, and the chancel walls are half a metre high, featuring a tall southeast angle pier. A line of beam sockets is visible across the east face of the west wall of the nave at eaves height. An inscribed stone floor slab in the chancel reads "IN MEMORIAM/ REGINALD L HINE/HISTORIAN/OF HITCHIN/1883-1949/REQUIESCAT IN PACE," marking the place where Hine's ashes were scattered. The church was dedicated to St. Nicholas and served the hamlets of Preston, Langley, and Minsden until church rates were established for St. Mary's Hitchin, leading to its decline. The site is designated as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (Herts No.14).