A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



solid walling, was interposed between the quire & 

 and the central tower. There is evidence that 



I he present 



as the old c 



The low 



with at least a south transept, existed, 

 i-er being in almost the same position 



r part of the old clunch wall of the south 

 le still exists, and is continued eastwards with 

 only one break as far as the west wall of the present 

 south aisle in a line with the east face of the present 

 tower. The break is a projecting impost which 

 probably carried the arch between the south aisle and 

 the transept, and if so it marks the western face of 

 the old tower, and the dimensions show that it was 

 square, not oblong as at present. In the rebuilding 

 of the tower the west face appears to have been built 



arches beneath them. The windows have moulded 

 arches enriched with the dog-tooth ornament ; the 

 jambs have clustered shafts and moulded capitals and 

 bases. The north arcade consists of four plain 

 pointed arches, the wall above being only i ft. 6 in. 

 thick. The imposts and two of the supporting piers 

 are octagonal with moulded capitals, probably modern; 

 the central pier, which is of 14th-century character 

 and is of greater diameter than the others, is com- 

 posed of four large half-round shafts separated by 

 smaller ones ; it has a moulded capital similar to the 

 others, which is probably modern. The north arcade 

 appears to have been rebuilt during the 17th cen- 

 tury, the middle pier being all that remained of the 

 old arcade. The south arcade is of five arches. The 



; Church y« 



about 7 ft. east of the old o:.e, the other sides 



The chancel, vestry and organ chamber were built 

 in 1891, and at the same time the south aisle was 

 lengthened eastwards about 27 ft. In the chancel 

 wall has been reset the sill of a I 3th-century piscina 

 with octofoil basin. 



The nave, which consists of the chancel and quire 

 of the old church, was built c. 1250. At the east end 

 are the remains of the triple lancet windows in the 

 north and south walls. In the north wall the 

 eastern window alone remains, the bases and capitals 

 of which have been restored. In the south wall are 

 portions of three arches with some of the capitals ; 

 the=e are partly built up and the lower portions have 

 been cut away to allow of the insertion of arcade 



arch is of three hollow-chamfered orders with moulded 

 labels of 14th-century character; the next two arches 

 apparently formed the original quire and retain their 

 old responds with a little plain walling at either end. 

 The arches consist of three hollow chamfen with 

 moulded labels, the jambs of large clustered shafts 

 separated by acutely pointed rolls ; the capitals and 

 bases are moulded. The date of this arcade is 

 c. 1250-60. There is a piece of wall about 6 ft, in 

 length, including the imposts, between this arcade of 

 two arches and the westernmost arch of the nave, and 

 the western end of the wall has been roughly thinned 

 down to make it fit the imposts and arch of the 

 westernmost opening, which is only 8 ft. wide. The 

 imposts are of the same section as the old central 



^62 



