Church Of St Mary And St Thomas

ld Knebworth TL 22 SW KNEBWORTH OLD KNEBWORTH LANE (west side)

3/150 Church of St Mary and St Thomas 27.5.68

GV I

Parish church. Circa 1150 origin to chancel and nave. W tower c.1420. N chancel chapel (Lytton Chapel) rebuilt c.1705. Chancel restored mid-late C19. Flint and rubble with stone and brick dressings. Steep plain tile roofs. The N chancel chapel is plastered brick with red brick buttresses. 3-stage W tower has diagonal buttresses. Battlemented. Polygonal SE staircase turret. Lead spike. 3-light w window; W door with pointed arch in square surround. Most windows of nave are C15 with cusped lights. Those of N chancel chapel are original wood mullioned and transomed with leaded panes. Chancel has Norman Revival style round arch lights. Gabled S porch Probably c1845. Interior: Large C15 W arch with attached single shafts. Nave roof has C15 hammerbeam trusses with traceried panels above the hammerbeams and crown posts from the collar braces. These trusses alternate with simple braced collar trusses. Complete C15 oak box pews decorated with miniature stepped buttresses. Circa 1150 Norman chancel arch with scalloped capitals. Outstanding internal feature is the Lytton Chapel which contains a remarkable set of early C18 monuments to members of the Lytton family. On N and S wall: to Sir William Lytton (d. 1705) and to Sir George Strode (d.1707), both by Edward Stanton. Marble Semi reclining fiqures. Reredos backqround. Columns supporting segmental arches with cartouches, the former with life-sized allegories outside the columns. On W wall: to Lytton Lytton (d.l7l0), perhaps by Thomas Green. Standing figure in shell- niche tabernacle frame. Fluted side pilasters. Broken segmental pediment. Cupids either side. Also in chapel, brasses to Roland Lytton (d.1582) and his 2 wives. Tablet to Anne Lytton (d. 1601). Epitaph to William Robinson Lytton Strode (d. 1732) by John Annis: two kneeling figures facing sarcophagus. In chancel: epitaph to Judith Strode (d. 1662) on I wall in baroque style in black'marble with white marble bust. On N wall: brass to Lord Simon Bache (d. 1414) formerly in chancel floor. C18 altar table, with paired Doric colonnettes, the rear panelling with Greek key. Iron gates to Lytton Chapel by Lutyens, the oriqinal wrought iron gates removed to W arch. C18 pulpit with fielded panels, incorporating C16/early C17 Flemish panels at top. Font at W end c. 1480, limestone, octagonal. 3-light window in S nave wall by Clayton and Bell (RCHM, 1910; Pevsner (1977)).

Listing NGR: TL2308521007