A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



lord of the manor. Henry II confirmed this gift 

 between the years 1174 and ii8z, and the profits 

 were assigned to the use of the 

 monks' kitchen. 8 " As early as 



1291 the estate was let out to 

 farm." The yearly rent was 

 then £6 9/. 4-/. By 1 526 the 

 house was demolished and the 

 lands let to Roger Appleyard, 

 the lord of the manor, on a 

 twenty-one years' lease." 



The abbey surrendered to 

 the Crown 5 December 

 1539.* 1 In February 1543 

 50 acres of meadow and pas- ■■**«" " 'atari or. 

 ture called Monks' Lands were 

 granted to Sir John Williams and Sir Edward North, 



treasurer of the Court of Augmentarions." Six months 

 later (26 August 1543) the toft with lands called 

 Monks* Lands was granted to Thomas Godwin. 91 

 Both had been leased to John Bowles. The toft and 

 garden commonly called Monks' Lands subsequently 

 came into the possession of Nathaniel Disborrow, son 

 of John Disborrow of Eltisley, co. Cambs., who sold 

 them to William WhetteU. The estate was thus 

 united to the manor of Bygrave.* 1 



The church, of unknown dedica- 



CHURCH tion," consists of a chancel z; ft. 6 in. by 



14 ft. 6 in., nave 31 ft. by 20 ft. 6 in., 



and south porch 6 ft. by 5 ft. All dimensions are 



taken internally. The church ii cemented on the 

 outside, the dressings being of stone and the roofs 



tiled. 



The nave is the earliest part of the church, and 

 belongs to the 13th century, the chancel to the latter 

 part of the 14th century, and the west turret to the 

 15th century, when the windows were altered and the 

 rood stair was built. 



The east window is transom ed and has three 

 cinquefoiled lights, traceried in the head. In the 

 north wall is a small 14th-century door, and beside it 

 a low-side window of one cinquefoiled light ; the 

 only other window is of two cinquefoiled lights set 

 under a square head. In the south wall are two 

 windows, one a window of two lights similar to that 

 on the north side, the other of three cinquefoiled 

 lights under a four-centred arch. On the south side 

 of the chancel is a 14th- 

 century moulded and arched 

 piscina, and on the north side 

 is an arched niche for a tomb. 

 The chancel arch is of two 

 moulded orders, with engaged 

 shafts under. 



The nave has a window in 

 each of its north, south and 

 west walls consisting of two 

 cinquefoiled lights under 

 square heads. The doorway 

 to the rood stair is set in a 

 splay on the north side of the 

 chancel arch ; the stair and 

 openings to the rood loft still 

 remain. The north doorway 

 has been blocked ; the south 

 doorway is of the 1 2th cen- 

 tury, but is much restored. 

 The arched head is slightly 

 pointed and has the roll 

 moulding. There are shafts 

 in the jambs with scalloped 

 heads, but the whole has been 

 much restored. The south 

 porch is of 1 8th-century work. 

 There is a small semi- 

 octagonal turret against the 

 west wall on the south side of 

 the west window which gives 

 access to the bell. 



The font belongs to the 

 15th century; it is octagonal, 

 base. The sides of the basin 

 ;ctangular sunk panels, carved with the instru- 

 ments of the Passion ; round the stem are angels 

 holding shields. The wooden cover is 3 bastard 

 Gothic of perhaps the 18th century. 



The rood screen is of the 15th century, the upper 

 part having open tracery work, the lower closed panels 

 being traceried. There is a carving of the royal 

 arms on the cornice of the screen of late 1 7th-century 

 work. The communion table and rails also belong 

 to the 1 7th century. 



There are some traceried panels of the 15th 

 century incorporated with the modern pulpit, and 



standinj 



1 squart 



* Dugdalc, Man. ii, J20, cf. p. 235. 

 85 P.-pt Kick. Tax. (Rec. Com.), ;i*. 

 <" Misc. BU (Aug. Off.), eclmii 



* Dugdale, op. cit. 

 a L. and P. Ha 

 sjaj ail (i), ,68 



Ibid, xviii {2), g. 



II, 24.9. 

 . mi, n 

 (vii). 



.07 ( S o). 



6 



(■), 



H Com. PImi D. Enr. Mich. 1651, 



t ii to be noted that the fair was 

 the feast of St. Margaret. 



