Church of the Holy Cross

Details

TQ 09 NW SARRATT CHURCH LANE (West side) Church End 5/272 Church of the 1.9.53 Holy Cross GV II*

Parish Church. Late C12, chancel extended in C13 and C14. Tower C15, raised C16. Restored 1865-6 by Sir G. G. Scott. Knapped flint with Totternhoe dressings, red brick dressings in tower. Some Roman tiles and puddingstones. Tiled roofs. Unusual small cruciform plan with short nave and transepts, chancel lengthened, W tower added. Aisles, S vestry and S porch added 1865. Chancel: E window, C19 restoration of C14 2 lights with cusped and trefoiled heads. S return C14/C15 small square headed window with double chamfered surround and a C19 lancet. N return C19 lancet. Taller and wider nave with lower transepts that to S slightly larger with plinth and C19 2 light S window with trefoiled pointed head. To E of S transept is lean-to vestry with a pointed arched entrance to S, a lancet to E. To W of S transept is separately roofed C19 aisle with a 2 light plate traceried window to W. To S is gabled porch with timber on flint and stone base, cusped braces to pointed entrance. A lancet to E of porch. N transept: plinth, C15 N window, square headed 2 cinquefoiled lights, double hollow chamfered surround. To E a square headed C19 double lancet. Stack at NE angle added 1931 rising from a 2 stage diagonal buttress. N aisle 2 light plate traceried window to W. 2 stage W tower. Double plinth. W window of C13 form, possibly moved from nave W wall in C15, pointed head, double lancets with circular light at head, double chamfered surround. A small C15 window to S. String course to C16 bell stage with brick quoins. To W paired 4 centred arched headed openings with chamfered brick and moulded brick outer surrounds, square head, drip mould. To N a tall cusped opening in a stone surround with stone drip mould. To S a single opening with brick surround and dripmould. Diagonally set course below eaves. Brick gables to N and S to transverse saddleback roof. Interior: late C12 pointed arches from nave to chancel and transepts, a plain square order with chamfered strings at imposts. C15 double chamfered pointed tower arch. C19 arches follow C12 model from nave to aisles and from transepts to aisles. N transept segmental rear arches to window embrasures, C15 rear arch to S transept S window. Chancel S wall has a C13 double piscina with roll moulded pointed arches with a central shaft with a moulded cap. Roll moulded string rises vertically to right. Left half cut to form sedile. To E a smaller C15 piscina with a trefoiled head, Tudor flower and brattished ornament. To W of chancel S wall a blocked doorway with a segmental head. Chancel N wall has a recess with a cusped head and an aumbry. C14/C15 chancel roof, 2 bays, moulded arched braces, struts to collars, clasped purlins, curved wind-braces, brattishing below ashlar pieces, moulded tie and collar beams to centre and W trusses. E truss cut in 1865 over window to form a braced hammer beam. Nave roof, 2 bays with curved braces to tie beams, all hollow moulded. S transept queen posts with braces to purlins, N transept braced tie beam. Good early C17 pulpit, hexagonal with linenfold panels separated by double balusters, backboard with foliate carving, scrolled braces to square tester with carved soffit, moulded cornice. N transept: bowl of C12 font and C13/C14 stone tomb slab on E wall with cross carving. Late medieval benches used as model for Scott's reseating. C19 font in S aisle based on C12 model, circular stem with 4 angle shafts from square base to shallow square bowl with blank arcading. Fragmentary wall painting on S transept E wall, C15 Annunciation, Shepherds and Angel and Ascension restored 1928 by E.W. Tristram. Chancel S wall monument to W. Kingsley, d.1611, and wife. Kneeling figures with children in alabaster aedicule, flanking obelisks, arms in cartouche above, epitaph below, falsely dated 1502. C18 floor slab in nave to Day family. S transept S wall monument to Williams family, early C18, aedicular marble slab with arms above, cherubim below. Glass: E window and N transept E window by Clayton and Bell, 1865. (RCHM 1910: VCH 1908: Pevsner 1977: Parish Guide).

Listing NGR: TQ0387498398

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

158916

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Guide to the Church of the Holy Cross Church Lane Sarratt, ()
Doubleday, AH, The Victoria History of the County of Hertford, (1908)
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977)

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

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