Thundridge old St Mary & All Saints
Diocese of St.Albans
Ruin
This church is on the Heritage at Risk Register (verified 2025-11-06)
View more information about this church on the Heritage at Risk website
Overview
Grid reference: TL 368 173
This is a ruin but an undeniably impressive one, comprising only the medieval west tower of what was the parish church of Thundridge village, ½ mile to the west. The tower stands isolated among small groups of evergreen trees at the west end of the churchyard, which was defined to the north and east at least by a 17th and 18th-century brick wall, which is wholly ruinous. The church is thought to have been built in the 11th or early 12th century.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
West tower, with originally nave, south-west porch and chancel.
Dimensions:
Tower approx 5m (16’6 ft) x 4m (13ft), nave and chancel (now invisible) perhaps 20m (66ft) x 5m (16’6ft).
Description of Archaeology and History
The church is thought to have been built in the 11th or early 12th century. After the Conquest it was a chapel under the Benedictine Priory at nearby Ware, itself founded from St Evroul in Normandy. The church appears to have gradually asserted its independence and assumed parish church status, but after the Reformation it was in the gift of Trinity College Cambridge. After another period of independence the church came under the care of the vicars of Ware in 1732. After the abandonment of the old church in 1853 and the construction of the new church of St Mary ½ mile to the east, Thundridge was an independent parish, the patronage held by Robert Handbury, the squire.
This unusual development may relate to the original construction of the church within the moated enclosure, which is probably late 11th or early 12th century in date. The church may therefore have been closely bound to the manor house which developed here from the original defensive fortification. The Norman south doorway survives, albeit now in a mangled form re-set in the blocked tower arch and subsequently rebuilt after vandalism, and this is likely to date to the late 11th or very early 12th century.
A sketch by Buckler dated 1828 gives us considerable detail of the church as it was then, and shows that most of the architectural details of the lost nave and chancel (although the east window appears to have had plate tracery) were of the early 15th century, the same date as the tower. The chancel east window appears to have been partly blocked. There were post-medieval additions, notably the timber south porch, which appears Gothick in style, and dormers in the nave roof, all probably 18th century features. The tower had a crenellated parapet and a lead-clad “Hertfordshire spike”.
The tower was stitched together with iron bars in 1843, and the cast-iron external stays are still there. Some of the windows and other features were built into the tower after the demolition of the rest of the church in 1853.
Exterior Description
The rectangular 3-stage tower is a fine feature with diagonal west buttresses and also east buttresses, these latter clearly added or finished off after the demolition of the rest of the nave to provide stability; at any rate there is a clear break. The lowest stage has a sloped flint plinth and a protecting string-course just above it, and there are weathered string-courses to each stage.
The west doorway is very fine with a 4-centred depressed head, hollow moulded jambs, carved spandrels, square surround and moulded label with grotesque headstops. It has been blocked with concrete, but this has been broken through, allowing one to see sockets for the door on both internal jambs. Immediately above this is a large pointed 3-light cusped window of the same date, probably early 15th century, now boarded up. The stage above is pierced by a single pointed loop in each external face to light the internal stairs, the belfry stage has simple 2-lights with 4-centred heads in each face, the tracery and the remains of the louvres eroding badly.
The tower arch has also been blocked, and within it the original 12th-century doorway has been reset. It is round-headed, of two orders, the outer carved with an almost wavy zig-zag, the inner with what might be described as dogtooth with ribbed facets. This is in places fragmentary and on the better preserved north side partly obscured by ivy which climbs up the face from here. The arch rests on plain imposts and moulded jambs, both damaged. Some plaster adheres to the wall over the arch, it is not clear if this is ancient. Reset above this and within the tower arch is a square-headed early 15th -century window with ferramenta and label with carved headstops, probably from the nave.
The arch itself is 4-centred with hollow moulded stepped imposts and jambs. Above the arch the sharply pointed roof scar of the nave gable can be discerned, the wall plastered within this. The scar of the wall-plate level with the ends of the string-course can also be seen. There are large oval cast-iron tie plates at two levels on the side walls, and a pair on the east face. The south face has a carved quatrefoil in a circle dial stone on the south face and a stone slab dial fixed higher up, which used to bear the inscription “long live the King”.
Building Materials
Flint
Churchyard
Grid reference: TL 368 173
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | N/A |
| Solar Thermal Panels | N/A |
| Biomass | N/A |
| Wind Turbine | N/A |
| Air Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | N/A |
| Ev Charging | N/A |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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