EDWINSTREE HUNDRED 



ASPENDEN WITH 

 WAKELEY 



small single light of early 1 2th-century work. The 

 external arch is formed in flint rubble, but the 

 original head may have been of stone. At the west 

 end of the north wall is a low-side window with 

 cusped ogee arch and roses in the spandrels ; it is 

 probably of early 16th-century date. Under the 

 1 3th-century lancet is a wide-arched recess, which 

 may have been used as an Easter sepulchre. The 

 moulded arch is pointed, the crocketed label forming 

 an ogee arch above, with carved finial ; the recess is 

 flanked by pilaster buttresses with crocketed gablets ; 

 the spandrels are traceried and the top embattled. 

 It is of early 1 5th-century work, but has been restored. 

 In the south wall of the chancel is a 1 3th-century 

 lancet window, under which is an aumbry, chiefly 

 modern, and part of the basin of a piscina with eight- 

 foiled drain. The arcade between the chancel and 

 the south chapel consists of two circular arches of two 

 splayed orders. The piers are octagonal, and on each 

 face and on the soffit of the arches are sunk panels 

 carved with arabesques. The arms of Freeman, with 

 the date 1622, appear over the arcade on the south 

 side. There is no chancel arch ; the chancel roof is 

 modem. 



The east window of the south 

 chapel is of three cinquefoiled lights 

 under a low elliptical head ; the 

 south window has two lights with 

 similar detail ; they are probably of 

 1 5th-century date altered in the 

 17th century. In the north-west 

 angle is the blocked entrance to the 

 rood stair. The chapel is inclosed 

 with a 17th-century oak screen, 

 the lower part of which is close 

 panelled ; the top is pierced with a 

 series of round arches on moulded 

 balusters. The pews, which are of 

 the same date, are inclosed with 

 plain panelled oak, and the doors 

 retain their ornamental iron hinges. 

 The roof is divided into panels by 

 moulded timbers, and is of late 1 5th 

 or early 1 6th-century date. 



In the north wall of the nave are two windows, 

 each having three lights with tracery under a four- 

 centred arch. The tracery diifers in the two windows, 

 and has been much restored ; they are both of 15th- 

 century date. In the east jamb of the easternmost 

 window is a niche for an image,*^ elliptical on plan, 

 and with cusped ogee arch under a square head, the 

 mouldings of which, and probably a canopy above, 

 have been cut away ; the spandrels are traceried. 

 The north door, which is blocked, has continuously 

 moulded arch and jambs much restored. The south 

 arcade consists of three bays with pointed arches of 

 three splayed orders, and octagonal piers with moulded 

 capitals and bases ; it dates from the middle of the 

 I4.th century. Over the arcade are modern dormer 

 clearstory windows. The roof is of early 15th- 

 century date with plain timbers and curved struts. 



The south aisle has a window in the south and 

 another in the west wall, each of two cinquefoiled 

 lights under a low segmental head ; they are of late 

 15th-century date. Under the south window is a 

 small recess with a cinquefoiled arch, probably a 

 piscina. The south doorway is of late 15th-century 

 date, and has a four-centred arch of two moulded 

 orders, the inner order continuous, the outer forming 

 a square head above ; the spandrels are traceried. 

 Over the doorway is a quartered shield of Clifford. 

 On the outer face of the south wall is a small plain 

 round-arched recess of brick covered with cement. 

 The roof of the south aisle has moulded timbers of 

 late 15th-century date ; the south door is of oak of 

 17th-century date. 



The south porch has an east and west window, 

 each of two lights with traceried head. The entrance 

 has a moulded two-centred arch under a square head, 

 with moulded spandrels ; the jambs are shafted. In 

 the spandrels are two shields of arms, Clifford 

 impaling Barley, and Jocelyn quartered with Blount 

 and Malpas. The west tower is of three stages with 

 embattled parapet and short leaded spire, which is 



■16'bENT 



OF Feet 



Plan of Aspf.nden Church 



dated 1 72 1. The tower arch, which is of late 14th- 

 century date, is of two moulded orders ; the jambs 

 have semi-octagonal shafts with moulded capitals and 

 bases. In the west wall is a small modern doorway. 

 The west window is almost entirely of modern 

 stonework. The belfry windows are of single lights 

 and have been restored. 



The font has an octagonal basin, the north, south, 

 east and west sides of which have traceried panels 

 containing blank shields. It is probably of late 

 15th-century work, but has been restored. 



On the south side of the chapel is an altar-tomb 

 of Purbeck marble, the lower part decorated with 

 square cusped panels placed diagonally, each contain- 

 ing a shield with indents of brasses. Over the tomb 

 is a canopy supported on octagonal fluted shafts, and 

 having frieze and carved cresting and traceried soffit. 



^ In 1 50 1 John Myles left i6j. Sd, 

 towards painting the image of our Lady 

 and to the painting of the rood 6s, Sd. 

 in Aspenden Church (P.C.C. 16 Moone). 

 In 1505 John Archer left money for 

 making a tabernacle of our J-ady in the 

 chancel and for painting of Mary and 



John on both sides of the rood (P.C.C. 

 37 Holgrave). Thomas Goodriche in 

 1 500 left 201. for the repair of the church 

 and a bequest to an honest priest to sing 

 and pray for his soul and all Christian 

 souls for the space of a year in Aspenden 

 Church on Sundays and holy days and 



23 



in the chapel of St. Mary Magdalene 

 in Buntingford on workdays (P.C.C. 

 9 Moone). In 1508 Walter Mace left a 

 cow for painting the image of the crucifix 

 (P.C.C. 35 Adeane). 



