Church of All Saints with St John, Hertford, Hertfordshire

Description

TL3212SE
817-1/20/181

HERTFORD,
QUEEN'S ROAD (East side),
Church of All Saints with St John

12/04/73

GV II*

Parish church. 1893-95, replacing earlier building destroyed
by fire in 1891, west tower added 1905, Memorial Chapel
completed 1934. Architects Paley, Austin and Paley of
Lancaster.

MATERIALS: pink Runcorn sandstone with plain clay tiled and
lead roll roofs.

STYLE: Northern Gothic Revival perpendicular style.

PLAN: west tower, nave, chancel, aisles, north-west porch, and
south chapel.

EXTERIOR: west tower with 3 main stages, half octagonal stair
turret on north, angle buttresses with offsets set back from
corners, moulded plinth and moulded bands. West door under
shallow 3 centred arch, with moulded and splayed surrounds. A
dripmould runs over adjacent arcading and doorhead and has
carved poppy heads. West window above with 5 lights and
rectilinear tracery with splayed moulded jambs and head and
dripmould above. 2-light traceried window with traceried head
and spandrels and flat dripmould; clock faces on all sides of
tower. Third stage with 2 louvred 2-light traceried openings
(north face 1 only) with splayed chamfered reveals, segmental
heads and coupled arched dripmoulds, band of traceried
panelled ornament below moulded and carved band with corner
diagonally set carved gargoyles. Traceried castellated parapet
above, with crocketed pinnacles at corners and in centres of
each side. Lead-covered chevron pattern octagonal spirelet
atop embattled stair turret of north face.
North and south aisles divided into bays by projecting
buttresses with offsets, above moulded sill band. Each aisle
with 3-light rectilinear traceried windows, and with eaves
gutter to roof supported on curved iron brackets. North aisle
terminates in projecting 2-storeyed hexagonal north-west
porch, with buttresses at each corner, a bold moulded sill
band, and 2-light traceried windows. Arched opening with ogee
moulded jambs and twin wrought-iron gates on north west face;
small lancets in centre of each face flanked by checkerboard
masonry of cream and pink sandstone. Parapets with offset
coping conceals roof. South aisle terminates in chamfered
corner with 3-light window similar to those of main south
elevation.
Clerestory to nave with two 2-light flat headed traceried
windows in each bay. Projecting octagonal turrets with
embattled tops and low stone domes mark the line of the
crossing within, low parapet to roof is heightened over
chancel clerestory and has carved panels.
Projecting north transept with 5-light window at right under
parapeted lean-to-roof, with taller gabled projection at left
with high level window, dropping down beyond to low parapeted
single storey vestry with 2 and 3-light windows. Moulded band
with rosetted and grotesques and panelled door in low ogee
arch with shallow mouldings. Dripmould, pinnacles and band
above carved with freely flowing poppyheads.
South aisle runs into south chapel, 3 bays, with subdivision
by buttresses with offsets, angle buttresses at corners, and
2-light windows with rectilinear tracery set within outer
arched reveal with segmental pointed arches, parapeted roof.
East end has low gabled parapeted roof to south chapel at
left, 4-light rectilinear traceried window, with pinnacle
surround, dripmould, and central niche above.
Chancel window of 7 lights, with heavy moulded mullions giving
2:3:2 subdivision. Rectilinear tracery with 3 centred arched
head, dripmould, tall buttresses with offsets left and right,
and panel above with 4 recessed blank panels with ogee tracery
under flat heads. Moulded parapet, with small upswept centre,
and setback gable with octagonal turret on left, central
2-light vent within traceried surround, with projecting cross
finial above.

INTERIOR: exposed Runcorn sandstone throughout. Tower has
large octagonal piers with moulded and splayed plinth, lofty
moulded west arch, strengthened by wrought-iron tie rod, and
octagonal vault supported on attached castellated half
octagonal colonnettes.
Nave/chancel arcade of 6 bays, with octagonal columns with
moulded bases, capitals with roll mouldings and double arches
with chamfer and dripmould above. 2-light clerestory windows.
Moulded tie beam roof with queen posts and collars on bay
lines, roll moulded wall plates, purlins and ridges, and with
shallow flat common rafters with boarded soffit between.
Aisles of 4 bays with a fifth bay running through north
transept. 4-light windows, panelled oak dado with pulvinated
frieze and moulded top. Roofs with shallow moulded tie beam
trusses with arch braces set on wall mounted uprights,
quadrant moulded purlins.
South chapel dedicated as War Memorial Chapel by Bishop of St
Albans in April 1934, and separated from church by a light oak
glazed screen completed in 1962.
Chancel rises from nave up 2 steps, without separating arch,
but is marked by a splayed pier against which 2 half octagonal
columns similar to the nave arcade are butted. Roof trusses
more elaborate, tie beam with arched braces with rosettes and
Tudor roses, pierced carved spandrels and queen struts.
Irregular bay subdivision with 1 bay plus arch, with 2 windows
on north, 2 arcade bays and 1 window on south, capitals carved
with rosettes and foliage. Organ chamber in second bay of
north transept divided from it by 2 bay arcade, elaborate oak
case housing 'Father Willis' organ, 1899.

FITTINGS: elaborate alabaster reredos with carved panel of
Last Supper and figures of 4 saints, 1914, presented by RF
Andrews. Small piscina in south wall of chancel, ogee-arched
with large carved poppyhead, twin sedilia. On north wall is
foundation stone for rebuilding of church, laid by Countess
Cowper on 23 March 1893. Oak communion rails with urn and
bobbin balusters and frieze carved with mouchettes, leaves and
vines. Oak choir stalls with bench ends with fleur-de-lys
finials. Half octagonal sandstone pulpit attached to north
pier dividing chanc el from nave. Octagonal columns, carved
band with foliated bosses, carved front with tracery, moulded
top rail. Font of polished fossil limestone, octagonal basin
on column with attached rolls and shafts, with naive wood
cover, carved by Vernon Hall for Christopher Perawne, Vicar
1960-66. First four pews on south side of nave for Hertford
Mayor and Corporation, and ends are carved with crests of
Borough of 16th and 20th centuries.

STAINED GLASS: east window by Kempe, 1900, in memory of George
Pearson of Brickendon Bury, 14 major lights with figures St
John the Evangelist and other significant saints connected
with the spread of Christianity, the true vine with cross,
angels with emblems of the passion and Old Testament prophets
above, figures against rich backgrounds with vines and foliage
in C15 style. The Memorial Chapel east window in memory of
Matthew Skinner Longmore (d.1878), figures of SS Stephen,
Peter, Paul and Matthew, stained and painted glass in C16
Flemish style. First window on south wall with figures of SS
Elizabeth and John the Baptist, Eunice and Timothy; second
illustrating the Annunciation, given in memory of Osmond Henry
McMullen and his wife c1920. South aisle, south-west window 6
main lights, C16 Flemish style, figures of Virgin Mary, SS
Simon, Malachi, Luke, Habakuk and Anna. South aisle window in
memory of Charles Bickers (1807-93) with scenes of
Annunciation, Christ with St John, Mary and St Anne, and
figures of prophets.

MEMORIALS: 2 fragmentary brasses retrieved from earlier church
displayed on north aisle wall to 'John Hunger (d.143?)' master
cook to Katherine, wife of Henry V, and the other to Thomas
Boose (d.1456). War Memorial Chapel contains a wall memorial
to First Battallion Hertfordshire Regiment, black marble
surround with white marble tablet inscribed with names of the
fallen above a truncated obelisk carved with the County crest,
standards, drums and kit entwined with oak and bay leaves,
ball finials at side surmounted with flames, designed 1921 by
Sir Reginald Blomfield.

HISTORICAL NOTE: All Saints Parish dates from prior to C10,
and in C11 was joined with the Liberty of Brickendon which was
held by Waltham Abbey under a charter from Edward the
Confessor. The 'old' All Saints church had been rebuilt C15,
was cruciform plan with a west tower, with a peal of 8 bells,
and an organ with west gallery were built in 1678. This church
caught fire on 21/22 December 1891 and was completely gutted.
The Corn Exchange was used as a temporary church for 3 years.
Although rebuilding the original was considered, it was
decided to construct an entirely new building, and Paley,
Austin and Paley, one of the major practices from north-west
England were chosen. Edward Graham Paley (1823-95) had been
educated at Bluecoat School, and his partners were Hubert
James Austin (1841-1915) and Henry Anderson Paley (1860-1946)
(son of E. G. Paley). The insurance of the old building
yielded only »2800, and building took place in two stages,
with the first phase, omitting the tower, costing »12,500, and
it was dedicated by the Bishop of St Albans on 20 February
1895. The tower cost »12,000 and it was completed in 1905, as
the Victoria Tower in memory of Queen Victoria. The Memorial
Chapel was dedicated in 1934.

(Turnor L: History of Hertford: Hertford: 1830-: 178-246;
Victoria History of the Counties of England: Hertfordshire:
London: 1902-1912: 508-9; Hertfordshire Countryside: Moodey G:
Old buildings in the County Town: Letchworth: 1946-1973: 45;
The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Hertfordshire:
Harmondsworth: 1977-: 185-6; Page FM: History of Hertford:
Hertford: 1993-: 174-76; Green L: Hertford's Past in pictures:
Ware: 1993-: 51, 123-5; Felstead A: Directory of British
Architects 1834-1900: London: 1993-: 32; Dixon R and Muthesius
S: Victorian Architecture: London: 1976-: 263; Architects in
perspective: Sir Reginald Blomfield: An Edwardian Architect:
London: 1985-; Sheldrick G: Three Centuries of Music at All
Saints Church, Hertford: Hertford: 1987-).

Listing NGR: TL3279912457

This List entry has been amended to add the source for War Memorials Register. This source was not used in the compilation of this List entry but is added here as a guide for further reading, 30 October 2017.

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British Listed Buildings

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Church of All Saints with St John

A Grade II* Listed Building in Hertford, Hertfordshire

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