A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



them on the west, belong to the middle of the 14th 

 century ; the west window of the tower and the 

 north, south and west belfry openings were inserted 

 later in the century 1 "; the east belfry opening may be 

 original. About 1440 the chancel arch was pulled 

 down and built about z ft. further east, and the two 

 large nave windows with their niches and the low-side 

 window were inserted, and the upper passage to the 

 rood-loft roughly formed eastward towards the new 

 chancel arch. The clearstory was raised about the 

 close of the 15 th century and the south porch was 

 erected, and the chancel arch recut to fit it under the 

 new low-pitched roof, the former roof having been 

 high-pitched, as shown by the marks on the east face 

 of the tower. The chancel was rebuilt of brick about 

 the beginning of the 18th century. In 1887 the 



the north and south walb of the nave thowi the old 

 position of the chancel arch. In the north wall of 

 the nave is * large 15th-century three-light window 

 with tracery in the head under a four-centred arch ; 

 in the east jamb is a canopied niche with carved 

 crockets and finials and cusped pedestal. In the south 

 wall is a similar window, and to the east of it is a 

 low-side window of two cinquefoiled lights under a 

 square head, of the same date as the larger windows ; 

 in the south-east angle, of the nave is a canopied 

 niche very similar to that on the north side ; both 

 niches have traces of colour. The north door is of 

 14th-century date, of two hollow-chamfered orders, 

 but the label has been cut off. The south doorway 

 is similar to the north. Both doorways retain their 

 original oak doors, with plain iron hinges ; the south 



church was restored, a new roof put over the nave, 

 and stone windows inserted in the chancel. The 

 nave and tower walls are embattled. 



At the north-east angle of the nave externally the 

 14th-century external angle of the nave wall may be 

 seen ; the recess adjoining it, which is corbelled over 

 above, shows the 15th-century extension of the nave 

 eastward. At the north-east part of the nave 

 internally is the entrance doorway to the rood-loft 

 stair, which projects on the outer face of the wall ; 

 i of 14th-century work, but the original upper 

 id a rough passage tunnelled 

 ard to reach the 15th-century 

 14th-century moulded stones 

 s construction ; the rough state of 



doorway is blocked, . 

 through the wall e 

 chancel arch ; some 

 have been used in 



doorway has deep sockets in the jambs for the oak bar. 

 The floor of the nave is about 2 ft. lower than the 

 ground outside. To the west of the north doorway 

 is a 14th-century two-light window, cusped and under 

 a square head. The label has the wave moulding. 

 The opposite window in the south wall of the nave 

 was a similar two-light window, but one light has 

 been blocked by the sooth porch, and the remaining 

 light widened by the insertion of a keystone in the 

 apex of the arch. The nave roof is modern, but 

 contains four figures of monks holding shields, from 

 the old roof; three of the shields are plain, the 

 fourth is barred. 



The south porch is of late 15th-century work ; on 

 the west side is a three-light window, with trefoiled 

 cusps, under a four-centred head : a similar window 

 on the east side has been blocked. The 1 



238 



