The chancel
The present chancel and north transept were designed by William Jolley and
built in 1878 on the foundations of an Elizabethan chancel which probably followed a
Norman one, rectangular in form. This Victorian chancel replaced a small and apse-like one
built in 1670 after the devastation caused in the Civil War in 1644. For about 26 years
the church appears to have been without one.
The sanctuary was repaired in 1951 under the direction of Mr Stephen Dykes-Bower, when
steps were removed, the general height lowered, the area paved in Mansfield stone, and
curtains introduced on the east wall. There are several memorials on the north wall
including alabaster memorials in memory of the wives of Sir John Locke of Hertfordshire,
who died in 1633 and 1639.
Triptych
A new triptych was installed at the east end of the chancel behind the altar on 29th November 2003, replacing the "ferial" curtain that had hung there since 1951. The triptych was commissioned by the Rector, Andrew Deuchar, and the PCC from the artist Tiffany Groves, and represents the Trinity.
The chancel has been repainted in its original design and colouring, and the whole is considered one of the best examples of a Victorian chancel. |