Former Church of St Bartholomew (CoE)

Details

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TL 33 SE
2/2

BUNTINGFORD
THE CAUSEWAY (north side)
St Bartholomews

(Formerly listed as Church of St Bartholomew (C of E))

22.2.67

GV
II*

Former Parish church of Layston parish, now private dwelling.

Chancel early C13, very thick nave walls suggest an early origin but C15 details, West tower and porch early C15. Chancel restored 1904 by A A C Blomfield, tower in 1906. Flint rubble, with some Roman tiles and blue brick parapet repairs on North side,of nave, stone dressings, and roughcast on North and East walls. Knapped flint used for nave parapets and in flushwork chequered dado around tower plinth. Steep old red tile chancel roof. Nave unroofed.

A good medieval parish church with long, square-ended chancel, higher unaisled nave with diagonal buttresses, fine three-stage crenellated West tower with spike, and parapeted South porch. Chancel has triplet of lancets at East with moulded string at sill level inside on East and South walls. Two blocked lancets in North wall. Two lancets in South wall with priest's door under western one, and a large three-light C15 traceried window. Chancel arch widened in late C15 with moulded four-centred arch and shafted jambs. Now closed by tall folding doors from the unroofed nave. C15 grotesque face as bracket on South wall still with traces of paint. Aumbrey and piscina with C13 rebated jambs and shouldered arches in East and South walls. Three-bay oak arch-braced collar-truss roof with ridge, purlins, ashlar pieces and wall posts on corbells, renewed by Blomfield.

Rectangular nave with three tall windows in each side, blocked North door opposite South door, and openings of rood-loft stair in North East corner. Three-light windows, with two-light windows to West of doors. Cinquefoil heads under four-centred arches and wide casement mouldings to inner jambs. South West window of earlier date. Two-centred arched North doorway with moulded square label on inside. Similar label to South doorway replaced by brick jambs. West tower has diagonal buttresses, newel stair in South East angle, C15 tower arch of three moulded orders with shafted jambs. West door has moulded jambs and pointed arch in a square head with traceried spandrels and label. Three-light C15 traceried West window. Two-light pointed bell chamber openings with four-centred traceried heads. Stoup to South of West door with cinquefoil head. South porch has an original four-centred stone entrance archway with moulded jambs under a square head with rose-in-quatrefoil spandrels. Niche over door and diagonal buttresses. Two-light side windows. Moulded parapet all round.

Monuments collected in chancel: John Crouch d 1605, a splended Derbyshire spar wall monument with paired Corinthian columns flanking black marble centre, in alabaster egg and dart frame under full entablature with raised central block with carved achievement and three carved seated figures, the middle one flanked by infants and holding a baby: Pike Crouch d1712 but monument c1756 signed I Wilton, a Neo-Classical urn in aedicule with skull in triangular pediment and impost with guttae all in white marble on grey marble ground. Gadrooned bracket carries pedestal with Greek key band and coat of arms in relief on base of urn. Scrolled keystone to hemicycle top: Thomas Edridge d1745, a marble oval plaque with fine lettering: and on South wall William Slatholme d1665 doctor of physic, of marble with grey central panel, recessed pilasters and full entablature with broken pediment and central cartouche. C15 or C16 oak reading desk carved with narrow cusped panels in two rows, the upper with narrow crocketed finials rising from bottom row. Heavy curved pomegranate scroll frieze and lozenge reticulation around top. Broad front and. narrow returns. A medium sized medieval church of exceptional interest for its C13 chancel, ornate tower and monuments.

(RCHM (1911) 138-9: VCH (1914) 85-6: Pevsner (1977) 223: Layston Parish Monthly Magazine July 1904).

Listing NGR: TL3693830112

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

159732

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1914), 85-6
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 223
Layston Parish Magazine in Layston Parish Magazine, (1904)

Other
Inventory of the Historical Monuments of Hertfordshire, (1910)

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