St Peter and St Paul, Kimpton, Hertfordshire

I Location

Site Location: Kimpton
National Grid Reference: TL 178 185
County: traditional: Hertfordshire
now: Hertfordshire
Diocese: medieval: Lincoln
now: St Albans
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Peter and St Paul
Type of building/monument: Parish Church

II General Description

: Chancel, E wall, jambs of 12thc. windows flanking a later window.

: Chancel, E wall, traces of 12thc. window

: Chancel, E wall, traces of 12thc. window

The church has a chancel with N vestry and organ chamber and S chapel, nave with N and S arcades, porch and W tower. The N and S arcades survive from the late 12thc. and there is masonry of this date in the chancel walls. The chancel was extended in the 14thc. and the N and S aisle walls rebuilt. The W tower was built in the 15thc., and the S aisle was widened and a chapel was built along the S side of the chancel at this time. A clerestory was built in the 16thc. In the 19thc. the N aisle was rebuilt, the vestry was enlarged and the organ chamber added. The chancel arch was also rebuilt at this time. The chancel has traces of two 12thc. windows in the E wall flanking a 14thc. window. Late 12thc. (Transitional) sculpture survives on the capitals of the N and S arcades. The building material is knapped flint, The ashlar quoins of the original chancel are visible in the E wall.

IV Interior Features

2. Arcades

c. Nave

: S arcade.

: S arcade, E respond, base.

: S arcade, E respond, capital.

: S arcade, Pier 1, base.

: S arcade, Pier 1, capital.

: S arcade, Pier 2, capital.

: S arcade, Pier 3, capital.

: S arcade, Pier 4, capital.

: S arcade, Pier 5, capital.

: S arcade, W respond capital.

(i) S arcade

East respond: 19thc. stiff-leaf capital.

Pier 1: stiff-leaf capital.

Pier 2: multi-scallop capital. The cones are sheathed and have recessed shields. A fine roll divides the capital from the impost.

Pier 3: as Pier 2 capital, but without the fine roll below the impost.

Pier 4: multi-scallop, sheathed capital with variations in the design of the sheathing. This usually meets in a point on the cones although there are three examples meeting in a fish-tail shape and two meeting in a small circle. There are wedges between the cones.

Pier 5: stiff-leaf capital.

W respond: multi-scallop, sheathed capital with sheathing meeting in a point on the cones. The pier is damaged by damp.

(ii) N Arcade

: N arcade.

: N arcade, E respond capital.

: N arcade, Pier 1, capital.

: N arcade, Pier 2, capital.

: N arcade, Pier 3, capital.

: N arcade, Pier 4, capital.

: N arcade, Pier 5, capital.

: N arcade, W respond.

The capitals of the N arcade have shorter and broader cones at a more acute angle than those of the S arcade, and are about 0.15 m less in height.

E respond: multi-scallop capital with plain cones and recessed shields.

Pier 1: stiff-leaf capital.

Pier 2: multi-scallop, sheathed capital with leaf-shaped sheathing and wedges between the cones and roll impost.

Pier 3: stiff-leaf capital.

Pier 4: stiff-leaf capital.

Pier 5: multi-scallop, sheathed capital with sheathing meeting in a point on the cones.

W respond: multi-scallop with sheathing.

VII History

Under Edward the Confessor, Aelveva, the mother of Earl Morcar, held Kimpton. At the time of DS it was held by Ralf de Curbespine and was among the possessions of Bishop Odo of Bayeaux. The advowson of the church was granted by the descendants of Ralf de Curbespine to the Austin Canons of Merton in Surrey (VCH, 31)

VIII Comments/Opinions

Pevsner comments on the overlap between Romanesque and Early English styles demonstrated by the sculpture of the nave piers.

IX Bibliography

N. Pevsner and B. Cherry, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, Harmondsworth, 1953 (1977), 216-217.
The Victoria County History: A History of the County of Hertford, London, 1912, 3:31.