St Mary, King's Walden, Hertfordshire

I Location

Site Location: King's Walden
National Grid Reference: TL 160 235
County: traditional: Hertfordshire
now: Hertfordshire
Diocese: medieval: Lincoln
now: St Albans
Dedication: medieval: not confirmed
now (or name of monument): St Mary
Type of building/monument: Parish Church

II General Description

The church has a chancel with attached N vestry, nave with N and S aisles and S porch, and a W tower. The original 11thc. or 12thc. church would have comprised nave and chancel only. The N and S arcades were built at the end of the 12thc. The chancel is 13thc. with later alterations, while the chancel arch is 14thc. as is the W tower which was built in 1380. The clerestory was added in the 15thc. and the aisles were also rebuilt at this time. The vestry is 17thc.

In the 19thc. the church was restored by Eden Nesfield who also built the S porch and restored most of the external stonework. At this time the N aisle was rebuilt, the vestry was enlarged and the organ chamber added. The chancel arch was also rebuilt. 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

(i) S arcade

: S arcade, general view from E.

: S arcade, general view from W.

: S arcade, E respond.

: S arcade, pier 1

: S arcade, pier 2

: S arcade, W respond

: S arcade, pier 1 base.

The S aisle extends further E than the N aisle, parallel with the chancel.

The responds and piers have water-holding bases of slightly varying profiles supported on round concrete plinths. All except the base of pier 1 look renewed.

The capitals have necking and all have octagonal imposts.

East respond: waterleaf with discs between the leaves.

Pier 1: as E respond.

Pier 2: as E respond.

W respond: a modification of a multi-scallop capital, with short almost horizontal cones and recessed shields. A type of trumpet capital.

(ii) N Arcade

: N arcade, general view from E.

: N arcade, general view from W.

: N arcade, E respond.

: N arcade, pier 1

: N arcade, pier 2

: N arcade, W respond

: N arcade, base of pier.

: N arcade, W respond base

The W responds and piers have chamfered octagonal plinths and no bases. The W respond is concrete apart from the uppermost course of ashlar. The E respond has a restored hollow-chamfered base above a chamfered plinth.

The capitals have necking and all have round imposts.

E respond: A type of trumpet capital, similar to the S aisle W respond capital, the shields have a pronounced horse-shoe shape.

Pier 1: a double row of lilies, syncopated.

Pier 2: multiscallop, trumpet capital, with short cones above a necking of pointed leaves.

W respond: a development of a multi-scallop, trumpet capital, the shields transformed into a row of scrolls.

VII History

Prior to the Conquest the two manors in King's Walden, one of which presumably included the advowson, were held respectively by Leueva and Asgar's widow of Earl Harold. At the time of DS the former was held directly by the king and the latter continued to be held by Asgar's widow. Both manors are named King's Walden.

VIII Comments/Opinions

Pevsner comments on the overlap between Romanesque and Early English styles demonstrated by the sculpture of the nave piers. The capitals probably date to the 1170s or 1180s. See also Kimpton.

IX Bibliography

N. Pevsner and B. Cherry, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, Harmondsworth, 1953 (1977), 218-219.
The Victoria County History: A History of the County of Hertford, London, 1912, 3:35.