A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



arch is of i jth-century date of three moulded orders, 

 the outer two continuous, the inner resting on a 

 semi-octagonal shaft with moulded capitals and bases. 

 The west door has a pointed arch of two orders under 

 a square head and moulded label ; the cusped 

 spandrels contain blank shields. Above the doorway 

 is a string-course, of which the label forms the lower 

 member, carried along the west face of the tower ; it 

 IS carved with leaves at close intervals. Beside the 

 south jamb of the doorway externally are the remains 

 of a stoup, elliptical on plan, with four-centred 

 cinquefoiled arch. Thorley is the only other example 

 in the county of a stoup at the west doorway. The 

 west window has three cinquefoiled lights with 

 tracery under a pointed arch ; on each af the north, 

 south and west sides of the second stage is a narrow 

 loop light. The belfry windows are of two cinque- 

 foiled lights with quatrefoil in the head. 



The font is of 15th-century date The bowl is 



Layston Church : The Chancel from the Nave 



octagonal with a circular quatrefoiled panel on each 

 face. The octagonal pedestal has traceried panels, in 

 some of which are small shields carved with emblems 

 of the Passion, much worn ; several shields have dis- 

 appeared. 



The pulpit is made up of panelling of the 1 6th 

 and 17th centuries; in the front is a linen panel. 

 Most of the seating is of 15th-century date with 

 buttressed ends and moulded rails. 



In the north-west angle of the nave is a slab with 

 indents of two men, two women and children. On 

 the north chancel wall is a mural monument of 

 marble and alabaster to John Crouch, 1605, with 

 the arms of himself, his wife and the alliances of his 

 ten children. On the south wall of the nave is a 

 tablet to William Slatholme, Doctor of Physics, 1665. 



There are five bells, four of them dated 1633, 

 the fifth by Pack & Chapman, 1 776. 



The communion plate which is used at St. Peter's 



chapel of ease in Buntingford consists of silver-gilt 

 cup, 1 68 1, silver-gilt paten and large salver, 1683. 



The registers before 1 8 1 2 are as follows : (i), (ii), 

 (iii), and (iv) baptisms and burials 1563 to 1800, 

 marriages 1563 to 1753 ; (v) baptisms and burials 

 1801 to 1812 ; (vi) marriages 1754 '° 1812. 



The chapel of ease, dedicated to ST. PETER, 

 consists of chancel 2 1 ft. by 1 3 ft. with apse, nave 

 39 ft. 6 in. by 21 ft., east and west transepts each 

 II ft. 6 in. deep by 24 ft. wide, modern vestry and 

 north porch ; all dimensions are internal. The walls 

 are of red brick and the roofs are tiled. 



The chapel was built about 1 6 14 by the Rev. 

 Alexander Strange, as is recorded on the brass within 

 the chapel.^8^ It is in the form of a cross with the 

 chancel and apse on the south. In 1 899 the building 

 was thoroughly restored, a vestry was erected west of 

 the chancel, a new north porch was added, the walls 

 of the apse were raised and a new roof put on, new 



brick windows were 

 inserted throughout, 

 the original pews 

 with carved backs 

 were removed and 

 modern seating sub- 

 stituted. 



The chancel opens 

 into the semicircular 

 apse by a modern 

 arch of red brick. 

 There is a modern 

 window on the east 

 side. There is no 

 chancel arch. 



The nave has 

 modern windows and 

 a modern north door- 

 way and porch. In 

 the west transept is 

 a gallery with plain 

 panelled front, of 

 about 161;, sup- 

 ported on small round 

 wooden columns 

 with Ionic capitals 

 and bases. In the 

 west wall is a door- 

 way with the original 

 four - centred brick 

 arch ; the jambs are of modern brickwork. The 

 windows in both transepts are modern. Over the 

 north gable is a small brick bellcote and in the east 

 gable is a stone inscribed domus orationis, 161 5. 

 All the roofs are modern, but several plain tie-beams 

 of the original roof remain. The pulpit is made up 

 of panels from the old pews, with arabesque carving 

 in the upper panels. Some of the chancel seats al«5 

 contain old panels, and some have buttressed ends 

 similar to those at Layston Church, from which they 

 probably came. On the south wall of the east 

 transept is a brass engraved with a view of the 

 interior of a small Renaissance chapel during service ; 

 it, however, bears little resemblance to the existing 

 building. The preacher in the pulpit and the con- 

 gregation are also shown. It is to Alexander Strange, 

 vicar of Layston and builder of the chapel ; it bean 

 the date 1620. In the north window is a shield of 

 *^ See also below under adrowftoa. 



86 



