Description

STAPLEFORD HIGH ROAD (A602)
TL 31 SW
(West side)
Waterford
6/120 Church of St Michael
- and All Angels
GV II*

Parish church. 1871-2 by H. Woodyer at expense of R.A. Smith of Goldings
(listed in Hertford Civil Parish in East Herts District). Concrete,
faced in snecked Kentish ragstone with Bath stone dressings. Timber
porch. Broseley tiled roof, shingled spire. Gothic Revival Style. 4 bay
nave with slightly narrower, shorter chancel, S porch. N vestry and
organ bay. The church is built on a slope so that the E end is raised
up. 3 light E window, Geometrical tracery in a pointed head, hood mould,
string course at sill level stepped down to sides. Double plinth. Relief
panels. 2 stage diagonal buttresses with trefoiled gablets. Shaped
kneelers to coped gable parapet with ridge cross. Chancel S elevation:
central 2 stage buttress with to right a gablet over a 2 light ovolo
moulded window with quatrefoil in vesica at pointed head, returned hood
mould. To left 2 lancets with trefoils at heads. Plinth, string course
below sill level. Rainwater heads dated 1872. Projecting stone course at
close eaves. Chancel to N has a lancet with trefoil at head, string
course below. Taller nave, kneelers to coped E gable parapet. S
elevation: 2, 1 and 3 light windows, Geometrical tracery, hollow moulded
surrounds, 2 stage buttress to E, smaller buttress to centre. To W of S
elevation is porch, inner double moulded pointed arch, plank door with
strap hinges. Low ashlar base to open traceried timber panels, braces to
cambered tie beam, quatrefoil panels up to collar with upper trefoil,
trefoiled bargeboards to steep gable. Each return has 2 triple cusped
arcades with turned shafts, pierced quatrefoils. Unbuttressed W end has
3 lancets with trefoils at heads, roll moulded surrounds, intermediate
buttresses, upper 2 lights and slit opening, kneelers to coped gable
parapet. On ridge to W is belfry with paired louvred openings. Broached
spire with weathervane. Nave to N has 2, 2 and 1 light windows as to
S with a 2 stage buttress to right of centre. Catslide roof from
chancel over vestry and organ bay extending onto nave with a canted
angle to W. Battered base with roll moulded string course. Steps up to
door, 4 lancets to left with 2 tiny gables in roof, trefoiled slits to
right, 2 light window to E end. Interior: pointed chancel arch with
inner chamfer stopped on shaped corbels at springing, continuous outer
ovolo moulding to broach stop. To W bay of nave timber arched braces
from semi-octagonal responds with bases and brattished capitals to
cambered tie beam, queen posts with engaged shafts, curved braces to
collar supporting belfry. Main nave roof has arched braces, curved
collars with crown posts and angled struts, clasped purlins, curved
windbraces. Chancel roof has moulded arched braces to collars, moulded
purlins. Pointed arched vestry doors with decorative strap hinges, ball
flower ornament in hollow moulding to nave, roll moulded to chancel.
Window embrasures: cusped hollow moulded heads in nave to N and S,
engaged shafts in chancel to N and S, cusped moulding to E. Chancel
wall mosaics 1901-12 by J.P. Hutchinson of J. Powell and Sons: blue and
green angels and ornament. Reredos 1901 by J. Powell and sons, central
cusped niche with flanking mosaic angels and saints behind 8 verde
antico columns with alabaster bases and stiff leaf capitals. Minton
floor tiles. Communion rails: turned timber balusters with quatrefoiled
lattice ironwork. Gothic octagonal pulpit. Font to W with shafted round
stem, octagonal bowl with quatrefoil panels, tall Gothic timber font
cover. Organ 1872 by J.W. Walker, illuminated pipes. Stained glass
throughout, largely by Morris and Co.. Chancel: to E Nativity by Burne
Jones with flanking musical angels by Morris, to S Annunciation by
Morris, King David and Miriam by Burne Jones, to N St. Michael by Morris
all 1872. Nave: to S Christ and Angels 1896, St. Peter 1876, Virgin and
Christ 1917, all by Burne Jones, the latter made by J.H. Dearle, to W
Noah and St. Phillip by Ford Madox Brown, St. John the Baptist by Burne
Jones, all on clear glass grounds with tracery by P. Webb, 1872, to N
St. Cecilia 1929 by C. Parsons, Road to Emmaus 1928 by D. Strachan, Wise
Virgins 1888 by S. Image for Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Below 2 windows
to W a beaten bronze memorial to Lt.Col. W.A. Smith by A.J. Danielli.
(The Builder, vol.XXX, 1540, Aug.10.1872,p.631: Pevsner 1977).

Listing NGR: TL3126614668

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17553471

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Building Small Projects (New Best of Fine Woodworking)
• 
  Period property manual, victorian house manual 2 books collection set by ian rock