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 an old Anglican church near Stanstead Abbotts, a village in Hertfordshire, England. It is no longer used for regular services. This church is a very important building. It is listed as Grade I on the National Heritage List for England since 1967. This means it is super special and protected! The Churches Conservation Trust looks after the church.
You can find the church about 1 mile (1.6 km) southeast of the village. It stands on a hill with a great view over the River Lea marshes. Experts say it is amazing because it is a medieval church. It still has its original 18th-century inside look. A famous historian, Nikolaus Pevsner, said few churches in the area have kept their old village feel so well.
Contents
History of St James' Church
The main part of the church, called the nave, was likely built in the 12th century. The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was added in the 13th century. The church tower and the entrance porch were built later, in the 15th century. A small chapel on the northeast side was added in 1577.
In 1881, a new church was built closer to the village. This new church was named after Saint Andrew. Once it was finished, St James' Church was no longer the main church for the village.
Church Architecture and Design
Outside the Church
The church is mostly built from flint stones and other stone pieces. You can also see some brickwork, especially in the northeast chapel. Even some old Roman tiles are mixed into the flint walls! The roofs are made of tiles, and the porch is built with wood.
The church has a simple layout. It has a nave and a chancel under one roof. There is also a chapel on the northeast side, a porch on the south, and a tower on the west. The tower has two main sections. It has strong buttresses (supports) at its western corners. A round stair turret sticks out from the southeast corner. This turret is even taller than the tower itself!
On the west side of the tower, there is a doorway with a window above it. The tower also has openings on each side for bells. At the very top, the tower has a battlemented parapet (a low wall with gaps). There is also a small spire covered in lead.
The north wall of the nave has a doorway that is now blocked up. The chapel has a small door on its west side. It also has two windows on the north wall and one on the east. The chancel's east window also has three sections. Both the chancel and the nave have two windows on their south walls. All the windows are in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in the late medieval period.
The south porch has a pointed roof with decorative wooden edges. The lower parts of its sides are covered with boards, while the upper parts are open. The main south doorway dates 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 arcade (a row of arches) has four sections. These sections are supported by eight-sided piers (columns).
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. On the east walls of the chapel, you can see royal arms (symbols of the king or queen) and boards with the Ten Commandments. In the chancel, there is a 13th-century double piscina (a basin for washing sacred vessels).
The nave has three hatchments (diamond-shaped boards with coats of arms). It also has a tortoise stove (an old type of heater) and box pews (enclosed seats). Under the tower arch, there is a screen. This screen was made from the old canopy that used to be over the pulpit. Part of the old rood screen (a screen that separated the nave from the chancel) is now part of a pew.
The north chapel holds a special monument for Sir Edward Baesh, who died in 1587. It shows statues of Sir Edward and his wife kneeling. There are also carvings of their children, also kneeling. Above the monument is a canopy with a round arch. This arch is supported by classical columns. It has a decorative top with his family symbol.
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 symbol, his motto, and other letters. On the north and east walls, there are also remains of old painted writings. You can find brass plaques in the chancel and nave from the 15th and 16th centuries. There are also wall monuments from the 19th century.
The organ, which has one keyboard, was built in 1871 by Bevington and Sons. The church has a set of three bells. The two oldest bells were made in 1605 and 1617 by Robert Oldfield. The third bell was made by John Briant in 1790.
Churchyard Features
In the churchyard, there are six monuments and a tomb. All of these are also listed as Grade II, meaning they are important and protected. The large tomb has three monuments on top. One is made of red granite, and the other two are 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 is from the 18th century, and the other is dated 1809.
The Clarke Monument is also a limestone tombchest. It is for Joseph Clarke and is dated 1725. Another monument is made of old, weathered oak wood from the 18th century. Its writing is no longer clear. The Allen Monument is another limestone tombchest for William Allen, dated 1827.
See also
