St Mary, Stapleford, Hertfordshire

I Location

Site Location
Stapleford
National Grid Reference
TL 312 169
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

General view.

General view.

The church has a chancel with an attached vestry on S, nave with attached organ chamber at the E end, and a wooden N tower with a tall spire over the N porch. The E end of the nave is probably 12thc. with a 19thc. (1874) extension to the W. The chancel was also probably 12thc. originally. The chancel arch was rebuilt in the 16thc. The organ chamber, N porch and vestry are 19thc. Much of the exterior is rendered, the area around the N doorway is uncoursed flint. The N doorway is the only Romanesque feature.

III Exterior Features

1. Doorways

(i) N doorway

N doorway, general view.

N doorway, general view.

N doorway, arch, general view.

N doorway, arch, general view.

N doorway, arch, detail

N doorway, arch, detail

N doorway, L jambs.

N doorway, L jambs.

N doorway, R jambs.

N doorway, R jambs.

N doorway, L base.

N doorway, L base.

N doorway, R base.

N doorway, R base.

N doorway, L capital.

N doorway, L capital.

N doorway, L capital and imposts.

N doorway, L capital and imposts.

N doorway, L capital, detail.

N doorway, L capital, detail.

N doorway, L capital, detail.

N doorway, L capital, detail.

N doorway, R capital.

N doorway, R capital.

N doorway, R capital and imposts.

N doorway, R capital and imposts.

N doorway, R capital, detail.

N doorway, R capital, detail.

N doorway, R capital, detail.

N doorway, R capital, detail.

Round-headed, of two coursed orders, reset. The lowest course is modern, raising the doorway by 0.22 m. The inner faces of the impost appear to have been cut away.

First order

Simple bulbous bases on square chamfered plinths support nook shafts. Both capitals have integral necking, The R is rope moulded.

L capital: each face has a pair of multi-lobed leaves, the lobes of the outer leaves meet across the angle.

R capital: a flat leaf/cushion hybrid. On the W is a slightly sunken daisy with fluted petals on the 'shield'. The W face has a star on the shield with triangular beads between the arms. There are two small spirals on either side of the star, one above the other, and an incised mandorla-shaped leaf on the angle. The capital is damaged on the L side of the N face.

The impost is hollow-chamfered with two grooves about 0.04 m apart along the tall upright.

The arch has three rows of chevron frontal to the face, each separated by a fine roll.

Second order

Plain jambs, no capitals, the impost continues from the first order.

The arch/label has a row of depressed zigzag.

Dimensions
h. of opening 2.41 m
w. of opening 1.22 m
h. of capital including necking 0.175 m
h. of capital not including necking 0.16 m (L); 0.15 m (R)
w. of capital 0.165 m (L); 0.16 m (R)
d. of capital 0.22 m (L); 0.23 m (R)

VII History

In DS Stapleford is included under Bengeo.The earliest record for a church at Stapleford is in 1285.

VIII Comments/Opinions

VCH suggests that the doorway is mid-12thc. A date in the second quarter of the 12thc. seems likely.

IX Bibliography

  • N. Pevsner and B. Cherry, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, Harmondsworth, 1953 (1977), 344-5.
  • The Victoria County History: A History of the County of Hertford, London, 1912, 3:479.