St James' Church, Stanstead Abbotts facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St James' Church,Stanstead Abbotts |
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Tower of St James' Church, Stanstead Abbotts,
from the south |
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| OS grid reference | TL 399 111 |
| Location | Stanstead Abbotts, Hertfordshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 24 January 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Flint and brick, with tiled roofs |
St James' Church is a very old church located near the village of Stanstead Abbotts in Hertfordshire, England. It is an Anglican church, which means it belongs to the Church of England. Today, it is a "redundant church," meaning it is no longer used for regular church services.
This historic building is protected as a Grade I listed building. This is the highest level of protection for important buildings in England. It was given this special status in 1967. The church is now looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust, an organization that saves old churches.
You can find St James' Church about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of the village. It sits on top of a hill, offering great views over the Lea marshes. Experts say it's special because it's a medieval church that still has its original 18th-century look inside.
Contents
History of St James' Church
The oldest part of the church is the nave, which is the main area where people sit. It was likely built in the 12th century, around 900 years ago! The chancel, the part of the church near the altar, was added in the 13th century.
Later, in the 15th century, the church got its tower and a porch. A small chapel was also added to the northeast side in 1577. In 1881, a new church named St Andrew's was built closer to the village. After that, St James' Church was no longer the main church for the area.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is mostly built from flint stones, which are small, hard rocks. It also has some brickwork, especially in the northeast chapel and the east wall. You might even spot some old Roman tiles mixed into the flint walls! The roofs are covered with tiles, and the porch is made of wood.
The church has a simple layout: a main hall (nave) and a chancel under one roof. There's also a chapel on the northeast side, a porch on the south, and a tower on the west.
The Tower and Its Details
The tower has two main sections. It has strong supports called buttresses at its western corners. On the southeast side, there's a round stair turret that goes even higher than the tower itself. The west wall of the tower has a doorway and a window with three sections above it. Each side of the tower has two-section openings for the bells.
At the very top of the tower, there's a battlemented parapet. This means it has a wall with gaps, like a castle. There's also a small, pointed spire covered in lead.
Windows and Entrances
On the north side of the nave, there's a doorway that has been filled in. The chapel has a small door on its west side. It also has two windows with two sections each on the north wall, and a three-section window on the east side. The main east window of the chancel also has three sections.
Both the chancel and the nave have two-section windows on their south walls. All the windows are in the Perpendicular Gothic style, which was popular in England from the late 14th to the mid-16th centuries. The south porch has a pointed roof with decorative wooden boards. The lower part of its sides is covered, while the upper part is open. The main south doorway is very old, dating back to the 13th century.
Inside the Church
The inside walls of the church are painted white. The arch leading into the tower was built in the early 15th century. The north side of the church has an arcade, which is a row of arches. These arches are supported by eight-sided pillars called piers.
Historical Furnishings
The round font, used for baptisms, is from the 13th century. It sits on a base from the 15th century. The pulpit, where sermons are given, is from the 16th century and has two levels. It stands on the south wall.
In the chapel, on the east walls, you can see the royal arms and boards with the Ten Commandments. The chancel has a 13th-century double piscina, which is a basin used for washing sacred vessels. In the nave, there are three hatchments (diamond-shaped boards with coats of arms), an old tortoise stove for heating, and box pews, which are enclosed seats.
Under the tower arch, there's a screen made from the old top part of the pulpit. Part of the church's old rood screen (a screen that separated the nave from the chancel) is now part of a pew.
Monuments and Art
The north chapel holds a special monument for Sir Edward Baesh, who passed away in 1587. It features statues of Sir Edward and his wife kneeling, along with carvings of their children, also kneeling. Above them is a decorative arch supported by classical columns, with his family's arms on top.
In the north window of the chapel, you can see small pieces of old stained glass. These pieces show parts of Sir Edward's family arms, his motto, and other letters. On the north and east walls, there are also faded painted messages. The church has brasses (engraved metal plates) in the chancel and nave from the 15th and 16th centuries. There are also wall monuments from the 19th century.
Music and Bells
The organ in the church, which has one keyboard, was built in 1871 by Bevington and Sons. The church also has a ring of three bells. The two oldest bells are from 1605 and 1617, made by Robert Oldfield. The third bell, made by John Briant, is from 1790.
Churchyard Features
Outside the church, in the churchyard, there are six monuments and a tomb that are also protected as Grade II listed structures. The tomb has three monuments on top: one made of red granite and two of white marble. It might have been designed by Alfred Waterhouse in 1881 for the Buxton family.
The Rowley Monument, from 1746, is a limestone tombchest for James Rowley. Another stone monument from the 19th century is surrounded by decorative cast iron railings. The Hankin Monuments are two limestone tombchests, one from the 18th century and the other from 1809.
The Clarke Monument is also a limestone tombchest for Joseph Clarke, dated 1725. There's another monument made of weathered oak wood from the 18th century, but its inscription is hard to read. Finally, the Allen Monument is another limestone tombchest for William Allen, dated 1827.
See also
