St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Hormead
Encyclopedia
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Little Hormead, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Little Hormead
, Hertfordshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church is particularly noted for its preserved door, which is described as a "work of outstanding importance", as being a "rare and precious survival", with its "most lavish display of 12th-century ironwork".
as serving the villages of Little Hormead and Great Hormead
. The chancel
was rebuilt in the early 13th century and a bellcote was added in the 15th century. A south porch was added in the 18th century. In 1888 the church was restored
, during which the east end was rebuilt and the bellcote was reconstructed. In the 13th century St Nicholas' Church had been built in Great Hormead, and Little Hormead lost its independent rector in 1886. It was vested
in the Churches Conservation Trust in 1995.
with stone dressings. The south porch is in brick, and the roofs have red tiles. The bellcote is timber with a pyramidal roof. The plan of the church consists of a tall narrow nave
without aisle
s, a chancel at a lower level, a south porch, and a bellcote at the west end. Much of the church is Norman
in style, particularly the nave. This includes the north and south doorways, a north window and the chancel arch. The south window in the nave dates from the 15th century. The two-light west window was inserted during the 1888 restoration and is in Perpendicular style. The east window in the chancel is a triple lancet
. In the south wall of the chancel are two 13th-century lancet windows, a large 15th-century window, and a priest's door.
dates from the early 14th century and has panels of blank tracery
around its bowl. In the southeast corner of the chancel is a 15th-century piscina
. Above the chancel arch is a carved and painted Royal coat of arms
of Charles II
dated 1660. The 12th-century door is preserved inside the church. It consists of two interlacing quatrefoil patterns, around which is a border containing scrolls, all of which is surmounted by a serpentine
dragon
. Dendrochronology
has confirmed that the trees from which the door is built were felled between about 1130 and about 1150.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Little Hormead
Little Hormead
Little Hormead is a small settlement in the county of Hertfordshire. It is a few miles away from the small town of Buntingford and near the village of Great Hormead.-External Links:*...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church is particularly noted for its preserved door, which is described as a "work of outstanding importance", as being a "rare and precious survival", with its "most lavish display of 12th-century ironwork".
History
The church dates from the 11th century. It was recorded in the Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as serving the villages of Little Hormead and Great Hormead
Great Hormead
Great Hormead is a small village in Hertfordshire. It stands near the River Quin. It is on the B1038 road. There is also the village of Little Hormead nearby.-External Links:* *...
. The chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
was rebuilt in the early 13th century and a bellcote was added in the 15th century. A south porch was added in the 18th century. In 1888 the church was restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
, during which the east end was rebuilt and the bellcote was reconstructed. In the 13th century St Nicholas' Church had been built in Great Hormead, and Little Hormead lost its independent rector in 1886. It was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Churches Conservation Trust in 1995.
Exterior
St Mary's is constructed in flintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
with stone dressings. The south porch is in brick, and the roofs have red tiles. The bellcote is timber with a pyramidal roof. The plan of the church consists of a tall narrow nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
without aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
s, a chancel at a lower level, a south porch, and a bellcote at the west end. Much of the church is Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
in style, particularly the nave. This includes the north and south doorways, a north window and the chancel arch. The south window in the nave dates from the 15th century. The two-light west window was inserted during the 1888 restoration and is in Perpendicular style. The east window in the chancel is a triple lancet
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
. In the south wall of the chancel are two 13th-century lancet windows, a large 15th-century window, and a priest's door.
Interior
The octagonal fontBaptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the early 14th century and has panels of blank tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
around its bowl. In the southeast corner of the chancel is a 15th-century piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. Above the chancel arch is a carved and painted Royal coat of arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
of Charles II
Charles II of England
Charles II was monarch of the three kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland.Charles II's father, King Charles I, was executed at Whitehall on 30 January 1649, at the climax of the English Civil War...
dated 1660. The 12th-century door is preserved inside the church. It consists of two interlacing quatrefoil patterns, around which is a border containing scrolls, all of which is surmounted by a serpentine
Serpentine shape
Serpentine refers to the curved shape of an object or design which resembles the letter s, a sine wave or a snake; the latter is the derivation of the term.- Examples :* The Serpentine River...
dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
. Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology
Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the scientific method of dating based on the analysis of patterns of tree-rings. Dendrochronology can date the time at which tree rings were formed, in many types of wood, to the exact calendar year...
has confirmed that the trees from which the door is built were felled between about 1130 and about 1150.