Graveley church, Herts

 

Graveley is a peaceful place apart from the constant breathy hum of the too-nearby A1(M). The church's origins date from the Norman period, though not a lot survives visibly from then; there's a very plain round arched door reset in the north aisle, now leading to the Victorian vestry. Judging from the lancets in its south and, especially, north walls, the chancel is Early English, and throughout the church there's a typical melange of Decorated and Perpendicular windows. The tower is Perpendicular.

All this, while nothing special or outstanding, is perfectly pleasant and well worth a stroll around. We might hope that the interior would hold some treasures, but in truth it's much the same as the exterior.

The only remarkable medieval feature is the thirteenth century double piscina, comprising a round-headed arch and two demi-round-headed arches which combine to form two pointed arches (very similar in concept to the wall decoration found in several cathedrals and other greater churches). Bettley/Pevsner point out that this is very similar to the one in Jesus College Chapel, Cambridge, but there's another one in Longstanton church, Cambs:

Photo: Jesus College website

Photo: Britain Express

The chancel screen is fifteenth century; 'nothing special' is Bettley/Pevsner's view, and it's hard to disagree, but nevertheless it's a good, solid, no-nonsense piece of village carpentry and deserves respect. There are three head corbels in the nave, presumably fifteenth century; again, nothing special, but as usual the best way of coming face to face with our ancestors.

The corbels support the nave roof with angels (all restored in 1887).

There are several minor monuments to ex-villagers. This one is the most notable (1770) which has an urn which looks like a big inverted light bulb (I suppose I should qualify that by saying 'old fashioned light bulb').

The Victorians contributed the north aisle and arcade, the furniture and stained glass, of which the best is the east window by Hardman & Co (1873).The main figures are Faith (with a cross), an unusually buxom Charity (with a child) and Hope (with an anchor).  Beneath them, and presumably relating to them, are a bearded saint leading a young saint carrying a big bundle of sticks on his back through a forest, a standing saint welcoming two kneeling saints (the details are heard to see as they're obscured by the reredos), and a saint-king apparently praying at a death bed. On the left of the window is evidence that the three light Perpendicular window that's there now was once, probably, a triplet of lancets. 

I found the church open once in the 90s, but despite trying the door several times over the decades I hadn't got in again until last Bank Holiday Monday, when the village held a fete. The church was open, and packed with people all eager to see around. I can understand why some churches are kept locked, but if they're made accessible, even if only once a year (but preferably more often), people will come. There's a large notice by the door asking for donations, but no one will see it unless they can get in.

THE BUILDINGS OF ENGLAND - COMPLETE

 

Woolmer Green church, Herts

 

The mighty Great North Road: once the backbone of the nation,  now humiliatingly reduced in rank to the B197 like a disgraced officer having his uniform's buttons sliced off on parade.

Between Welwyn and Knebworth lies Woolmer Green, which began as a rural hamlet much like thousands of others, but, encouraged by the arrival of the railway (which reached Welwyn in 1850), a straggly ribbon development strung itself along this road in the later 19th century. In 1896 the Rev Arthur Cayley Headlam became the vicar of Welwyn, and began a campaign for the residents of what was becoming a small village to have a church of their own. He must have been a man of some energy and forcefulness (he eventually became the Bishop of Gloucester) as in 1899 the foundation stone of what was initially a chapel of ease (ie, not strictly a parish church, which status it didn't attain until as late as 2000). He contributed £100 (about £10,600 today) of his own money to the project.

The architect was the Scottish Robert Weir Schultz (1860-1951), an important figure in the Arts and Crafts movement. This is the only surviving church in the country solely by him, though he did design numerous domestic buildings, and Khartoum Cathedral in Sudan (1906-12). In 1915 he started calling himself R (or Robert) W S Weir so as to hide his German sounding surname (Weir was his mother's maiden name).

Externally the building isn't particularly prepossessing. It's of brick with limestone dressings; the windows are lancets in the shallow polygonal apse but minimally Perpendicular elsewhere, except for the westernmost ones on the north and south of the nave, which are, unusually, mandorla-shaped. These and the 1913 relief sculpture (by Herbert William Palliser (1883-1963)) of St Michael killing a non-threatening-looking dragon (actually a wyvern as it has only two legs) over the north door are the only notable features. A tower over the organ loft (on the north side of the chancel) topped by gables and a Herts spike was planned, but funds ran out.

The interior is dominated by the excellent panelled wooden roof, with very plain and assertive tie beams. The origin of the word 'nave' is of course ultimately the Latin 'navis', meaning 'ship', after the (usually rather fanciful) resemblance between a long roof and an upturned boat, but here for once the similarity is unmistakeable. It almost looks as if it could be lifted off, inverted and lowered into water so you could float away in it. 

The geometry of the apse roof is particularly appealing. The other most striking internal feature is the chancel screen, by Laurence Turner (1864-1957), in which what would be tracery in a Gothic screen has become an intricate filigree of the stems of abundant fruits and flowers. This alone would make a visit worthwhile. The plainer, more rectilinear integral pulpit and lectern are also by Turner. The choir desks (only glimpsed in my photos) are by the great Ernest Gimson (1864-1919), apparently the only example of his work in the county. 

The altar rails were designed by Schultz.

The font was carved by Turner; the local schoolchildren raised £36 4s 3d (about £3,800 today, a highly creditable sum) towards it.

Alec Hamilton's Arts and Crafts Churches (2020) devotes two whole pages to Woolmer Green, more than he allots to the great majority of churches he covers, (though the even better Ayot St Peter and Waterford get a mere line each). As this suggests it is worth seeking out, though it can't be relied on to be open (you might have more luck during school term time than during holidays).