A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



The roofs of porch and aisles are of I5th-centur7 

 Jate, the former having carved angel figures. 



The west tower is of three stages, with diagonal 

 buttresses, embattled parapet and slender wood spire 

 covered with lead. The circular stair is in the south- 

 west angle. The tower arch is lofty and two-centred ; 

 the arch and jambs are splayed and moulded ; semi- 

 octagonal shafts with moulded capitals and bases sup- 

 port the inner order. The west doorway has a pointed 

 arch of two moulded orders under a square head and 

 label with head stops ; the spandrels are traceried 

 with roses in the centre. The doorway has been 

 repaired ; above is a stone shield carved with the 

 arms of Robert Braybrook, Bishop of London 



IS 



Much Hadham Church : i 5th-ce.ntury Chair 



(1382-1404), seven voided lozenges and a border. 

 The west window has three cinquefoiled lights under 

 a traceried head ; the window has been repaired in 

 cement. The second stage of the tower has a loop 

 light on the north, west and south faces and a clock 

 dial on the west. On the east side is a small square- 

 headed opening into the nave over the tower arch 

 which has been blocked with thin 16th-century bricks. 

 The belfry windows have each two cinquefoiled lights 

 with traceried head 



The octagonal font is of stone and is probably of 

 late 15th-century date. The sides of the bowl are 

 decorated with circular traceried panels with blank 

 shields and foliage in their centres ; the pedestal 



66 



has arched panels with trefoiled cusps, the base is 

 moulded. On the inner sill of the second window from 

 the east is roughly inscribed ' ad nomen doBi curvath 

 GENUA 14 — .' A large stone slab under the com- 

 munion table is said to be the original altar slab 

 turned face downwards. In the recess on the north 

 side of the chancel are some old tiles with geometrical 

 patterns, probably of the 14th century. The rood- 

 screen is of 1 5th-century date with traceried openings ; 

 the cornice is modern. Traces of colour still remain. 

 The oak pulpit is made up of 15th-century traceried 

 panels with pilaster buttresses at the angles. In the 

 chancel are some 15th-century stalls with traceried 

 panels and carved poppy-heads to the seat ends. 

 There are two 1 5 th -century oak chairs 

 in the church, one in the chancel, the 

 other at the west end, with high panelled 

 and traceried backs with moulded 

 cornice, curved arm-rests with crocketed 

 finials and panalled and traceried fronts. 

 In the nave are some plain 1 5th-century 

 seats with buttressed ends. On the east 

 wall of the chancel are some 1 5th-cen- 

 tury traceried panels, and on the eastern 

 responds of north and south arcades in 

 the nave is some 17th-century panel- 

 ling. The communion table is of oak 

 with carved legs of late 16th-century 

 date. In the east window of the 

 chancel are some interesting remains 

 of 15th-century glass. In the upper 

 part are figures of SS. Peter and 

 Andrew. Under them are figures of 

 eight female saints : St. Ursula, St. 

 Cecilia, St. Margaret, St. Mary the 

 Virgin, St. Catherine, St. Winifred, 

 St. Barbara and St. Mary Magdalene.*' 

 In the lower part of the window are 

 three sacred monograms, two of them 

 surrounded by the words ' Hoc est 

 nomen quod super omne nomen ' ; one 

 of the inscriptions is a modern copy. 

 There are also two coats of arms, one 

 of Fulk Bassett, Bishop of London 

 1244-59 (Barry wavy of six argent 

 and sable), the other of Thomas Kemp, 

 Bishop of London 1450-89 (Gules 

 three sheaves and a border engrailed or). 

 On the jambs of the blocked 13th- 

 century lancet on the north side of the 

 chancel is a masonry pattern painted in 

 red lines with sixfoiled ornaments, pro- 

 bably of 13th-century date. On the 

 north wall of the north aisle, near the 

 end, is part of a painted diaper pattern with 

 foliage, probably of 15th-century date, and under the 

 clearstory on the north side of the nave are some 

 small patches of paintings. On the north wall of 

 the vestry is a band of running ornament of 1 5th- 

 century date. 



On the chancel floor is an indent of a floreated 

 cross with a marginal inscription to Simon Flambard, 

 rector (1320-32) ; a brass strip on a marble slab 

 IS inscribed ' Priez pur I'alme Alban parsone de 

 hadhm '—this is supposed to refer to Alan de Fen, 

 rector (1369-72); an inscription only to Grace 

 1631 ; the half-figure of a man in the 

 ** Bail Heru. Arck. Sec. Traiu. it, 198. 



east 



Goodman, 



