This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Dabomb87 (talk | contribs) at 00:48, 15 November 2008 ((auto: 1 en dash; 4 comma)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 00:48, 15 November 2008 by Dabomb87 (talk | contribs) ((auto: 1 en dash; 4 comma))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
St Mary's Church, Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, is the parish church of the town and its oldest place of worship.
Its construction was commenced in 1140 and was dedicated in 1150 although construction continued for another 30 years.
It is cruciform in shape, with chancel, the first part to be built, nave south and north transepts, and a tower. A spire, one of the tallest in Europe was added in the 14th century with a total height of 200 feet. It is topped by a gilded weather vane. The church is built from the local clunch stone and flint with some addition of Roman bricks. The architecture is Norman throughout apart from porches added in the 14th and 15th centuries. A 19th century vestry was added on the north east corner.
In 1302 a cell to Ashridge Priory was founded in Hemel Hempstead and the church had collegiate status until the Dissolution of the monasteries in 1536. A door at the base of the tower allowed the monks access to the church and avoided them mixing with the townspeople.
It is not known why such a grand church was constructed in what at the time was a small hamlet.
The church contains a memorial to Sir Astley Paston Cooper. There is a Walker organ which was refurbished in 2008.
The peel was originally of 5 bells recorded in the reign of Edward VI. None of these remain and the present peel is of 8 bells dating from 1604 to 1767.
The font is original Norman, although surrounded by 19th century decoration.
References
- St Mary's Church guidebook with forward by the rector Peter Cotton, 2008
- "A virtual walk around St Mary's Church". St Mary's Parish web site. November 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2008.
- Page, William (editor) (1908). A History of the County of Hertford: volume 2. British History Online. pp. pp. 215–230.
{{cite book}}:|first=has generic name (help);|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
External links
 | This article about a church or other Christian place of worship in the United Kingdom is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |