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St Mary (c Of E)

Pirton

Hertfordshire

Early C12 formerly cruciform church with crossing tower

Architectural Features

transepts destroyed by successive collapses of tower in C13

S porch, many windows, buttresses and chancel roof and fittings C14

nave heightened with new roof and windows in C15

flat ceiling inserted in chancel with 'W 1697 D' carved on soffit of cross-beam

Contrasting coursed flint C14 walling of S porch and added buttresses, again with limestone dressings, irregular uncoursed clunch rubble to tower, S transept, and most of chancel but coursed limestone rubble at E part of chancel

Steep red tile roof to chancel and transept, lead roof to nave, and to tower with spike and vane

Trussed rafters of roof may pre-date supporting structure, itself reset at higher level and dated '1697'. C12 roll moulded string course across E wall below windows

Single window on N side is a 2-lights late C14 insertion in an older and higher opening with round-headed inner arch

Early C14 double piscina with trefoil heads and chamfered pier between rear E end of S wall

2-lights early C15 pointed window above, with cinquefoil lights and stained glass of angels

Wide 3-lights SW window with square head, late C15, and cinquefoil lights

Heavy C19 carved wooden reredos with pinnacles now at side of chancel

Wide 3-lights E window originally C14 pointed has wave-moulded jambs, altered in C17 to square headed window by blocking head and introducing depressed 3-centred arched heads to the lights

Crossing tower has early C12 arches to E and W each of 2 square orders in massive round arches with simple chamfered imposts and plinths

Some voussoirs decorated in chip-carved ornament

Square-headed loop on W. Bell frame dated '1642'. S transept: has brass memorial tablet beside door in W wall

Unusually wide and lofty nave with 4-bays C19 open timber roof carried on medieval stone corbels carved with heads

Round headed blocked C12 windows recorded middle of N and S walls

Photo coming soon