Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a Grade I listed building in the North Hertfordshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 27 May 1968. A Circa 1150 Church.
Church of St Mary and St Thomas
- WRENN ID
- forgotten-clay-heron
- Grade
- I
- Local Planning Authority
- North Hertfordshire
- Constituency
- Stevenage MP: Kevin Bonavia (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 27 May 1968
- Type
- Church
- Address
- Church of St Mary and St Thomas, Old Knebworth Lane
- OS grid reference
- TL 230 210
- Coordinates
- 51.87407, -0.21346
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Church of St Mary and St Thomas is a parish church with origins dating back to around 1150 in its chancel and nave. The west tower was constructed around 1420, and the north chancel chapel, known as the Lytton Chapel, was rebuilt in approximately 1705. The chancel underwent restoration in the mid to late 19th century.
The church is primarily built of flint and rubble with stone and brick dressings. The north chancel chapel is plastered brick with red brick buttresses. A steep plain tile roof covers the structure. The three-stage west tower features diagonal buttresses and battlements, along with a polygonal southeast staircase turret topped with a lead spike. It has a three-light west window and a pointed arch doorway within a square surround. Most windows in the nave date to the 15th century and have cusped lights. The north chancel chapel retains original wood mullioned and transomed windows with leaded panes. The chancel showcases a Norman Revival style with round arch lights. A gabled south porch was likely added around 1845.
Inside, a large 15th-century west arch incorporates attached single shafts. The nave roof is notable for its 15th-century hammerbeam trusses; these alternate with simpler braced collar trusses. Traceried panels sit above the hammerbeams, and crown posts extend from the collar braces. Original 15th-century oak box pews are present, decorated with miniature stepped buttresses. A 12th-century Norman chancel arch has scalloped capitals. The Lytton Chapel contains a remarkable collection of early 18th-century monuments to the Lytton family. These include memorials to Sir William Lytton (died 1705) and Sir George Strode (died 1707), both by Edward Stanton, featuring marble semi-reclining figures set against a reredos background. Another monument is dedicated to Lytton Lytton (died 1710), possibly by Thomas Green, depicting a standing figure within a shell-niche tabernacle frame. Additional features include brasses to Roland Lytton (died 1582) and his two wives, as well as a tablet to Anne Lytton (died 1601), and an epitaph to William Robinson Lytton Strode (died 1732) by John Annis, showing two kneeling figures facing a sarcophagus. In the chancel, an epitaph to Judith Strode (died 1662) is carved in a baroque style on black and white marble with a bust. A brass to Lord Simon Bache (died 1414) is fixed to the north wall, having originally been part of the chancel floor. An 18th-century altar table features paired Doric colonnettes, and the rear panelling displays a Greek key pattern. Iron gates to the Lytton Chapel are by Lutyens, replacing the original wrought iron gates which were moved to the west arch. An 18th-century pulpit incorporates 16th/early 17th-century Flemish panels at the top. A limestone octagonal font at the west end dates to around 1480. A three-light window on the south nave wall is the work of Clayton and Bell.
Local climate
Church of St Mary and St Thomas sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 720 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 84% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 77% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 36 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 61% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
Sign in or create a free account to unlock:
- No EPC on record for this property
- No sale records on file
- No related consent applications matched
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
Similar buildings
The closest matches to this building from all 493,000 UK listed buildings, by architecture, period and materials.
this building 1 similar nearby listed buildings
Nearby listed buildings
- 1 of 6 Tombs in Churchyard of St Mary and St Thomas E to Edgar and Beryl Lafone
- 1 of 6 Tombs in Churchyard of St Mary and St Thomas D to Marion Mackinnon Buchanan
- 1 of 6 Tombs in Churchyard of St Mary and St Thomas C to Kenneth Gray Buchanan
- 1 of 6 Tombs in Churchyard of St Mary and St Thomas: F Memorial to Anthony James, Viscount Knebworth
- 1 of 6 Tombs in Churchyard of St Mary and St Thomas A to Leonara Robinson Lytton
- Garden Wall, Gates and Gatepiers
- Lytton Mausoleum in Knebworth Park, including railings
- Knebworth House
- Estate Office, Garage and Cottage, Including Garden Wall at Rear
- The Barns Restaurant