Holy Cross Church, Sarratt, Hertfordshire - Monuments

A charming, evocative Norman church built of flint, a short walk out of Rickmansworth, Sarratt Church contains two early monuments and half a dozen humbler 19th Century ones, and is a pleasure to visit for its ambience and intimacy.

Sarratt Church of Holy Cross, Hertfordshire.

The ancient Church building first. The cruciform core is 12th Century, being all of the nave, transepts, and part of the chancel, though this was increased later on. The rest is mostly 13th-15th Century, the tower apparently being 15th Century with the top rebuilt in the 16th Century, forming a feature of the Church. The little aisles though are of the 1860s, along with the porch, the work of Gilbert Scott no less.

Two interior views.

The Church is satisfying from the outside, all high pitched roofs and flint, but from the inside is even better, with satisfying views through the arches, an open roof of dark beams, and overall an intense ambience. The monuments are modest by comparison, but include the two early, impressive ones, and an interest in the 19th Century panels in that four are signed by their makers.

Monuments

William Kyngesley and his wife Katherina.

• William [Gulielmi] Kyngesley, d.1611 and his wife , with a Latin inscription. The chief monument in the Church, an example of a kneeler monument. Thus the husband and wife are carved kneeling on tasselled cushions, praying, facing each other over a prayer desk (faldstool). The children, much smaller, sit behind them – 6 sons behind the father, a single daughter behind the mother. All wear ruffs, and long, black robes; Kyngesley is bare-headed, as are his sons, while Katherina has a strange bent forward headpiece, and the daughter an elaborate coiffure. The figures are painted, but the elaborate surround is left in brightly coloured marble or alabaster, a favoured pinky-brown colour. The are under an arch or canopy, with at the top a shelf on which sits the painted shield of arms within a decorated border of the type called strapwork, with obelisks to the sides. Larger obelisks flank the figure sculpture. At the base, the inscription, on a black panel, has a strapwork surround and below that is carved a memento mori – a little winged hourglass to indicate time passing. There is a date, 1502, carved on the monument (on the shelf under the figures) which would seem erroneous as this is far too early for such a monument. Kneeler monuments like this are widely found (see this page), and while this is smaller than some, it is a good one, and notable in that the sons are ranked as a pair, then three, then one behind, which is highly unusual. Different books record different numbers of sons to the family – the Victoria County History, usually reliable, lists five, but there are six carved on the monument as we see it today, all living at the time the monument was erected. Odd.

  

• Elizabeth Williams, d.1721, daughter also , husband , ‘owner and Lord of this Mannor of Goldintons and Rose Hall’, another daughter, , ‘who died young’, erected by another daughter, Eleanor Williams. A good piece, characteristic of a larger type of decorated panel monument favoured in the 18th Century. The inscription has receding sides, with flowery coils towards the base, a heavy shelf above, with mouldings, and a coat of arms at the top flamboyant surround (mantling). To the sides of this are just the bases of some other ornament, perhaps small urns. At the base is a nicely curved support, terminated by a carved pair of winged cherub heads, almost cheek to cheek (see picture at bottom of page) – their wings curve up in the middle to form an odd oval, and there might be something missing below that. The carving is good – notably the leafy mantling at the top, heavily undercut, and the cherubs with their high foreheads and wavy hair (lots more cherub heads can be seen on this page).

• Peter Kennedy, d.1807, and his wife , who afterwards married Revd. Israel Bull, Rector of Fleet Marston, Bucks. Tall panel with thin upper shelf and equally scant black surround - see picture at top of page. At the top is a relief carving of a draped pot. The statuary Williams, New Road, London, signs the piece.

• William John Villiers Surtees, d.1832, ‘who was accidentally drowned’, with a short poem. Carved panel in the shape of a broad shield, on a shaped black backing. On top of the shield is a small carving of a sickle cutting a rose, symbol of life cut short in its flowering, as he was just 19 at his death. A good white-on-black monument, signed by C. Smith, 37 Gloucester Place, New Road, London.

  

  19th Century white-on-black panels.

• John Foster, d.1834. White panel, the inscription on a ‘breadboard’ raised area with two roundels, upper shelf with mouldings.

• Wynne Peyton, d.1848, President of the Medical Board at Madras. White panel with clipped corners, four little flowers, and black backing. Mildly unconventional white-on-black panel by R. Brown of 58 Great Russell Street, a fairly prolific stonemason, who as well as various fairly plain panels, has a good figure in Aldenham Church, also in Hertfordshire.

• William Richard Moore, d.1857. A plain white marble panel with upper shelf and cut with little feet, noting that he was ‘joint magistrate and deputy collector at Mirzapoor… who was basely murdered… in the zealous performance of his duty in defence of the factory of Parlee.’

• The Rt. Hon. Lady Frances Wade, d.1863, daughter of the 6th Marquis of Lothian and wife of George Wade. White on black panel, of upturned shield shape, with a small carving of a dog with a trailing rope on the top (see picture above). By W.H. Burke &C, 17 Newman Street, Oxford Street. Other work by this statuary is dotted around London.

• Sydney Valentine, d.1919, a wooden oval with cross inscribed at the top and surrounded by a wreath.

• In addition there are a few brasses from late in the 19th Century – a couple polished, and a couple darkened. Typical of this sort of monument, with thin borders with repeating decoration, red and black.

Also in the Church:

• .

• 13th Century coffin up against the wall - see top of page – aged though it is, the fabric of the Church is mostly older.

• The font is Victorian, in Norman style, copied apparently from the original, thus with square bowl, and great central shaft with four small outer pillars to support it. The worn bowl of the original font, rescued from the churchyard, sits by the 13th Century coffin noted above.

• Fragmentary ancient wall paintings, the main one apparently the life of Christ.

  

• Notable woodwork – the pulpit with sounding board (see picture at top of page), a couple of chairs, the panelling behind the altar (picture above), with carved flowers. A strange chest at the base of the altar was made in 1913 from the old oak frame of the bell tower when that was replaced.

• Good stained glass – one odd little head which may be ancient, Victorian, with little scenes of St Helen and St Barnabas below their figures (see top of page for St Helen), 20th Century with good faces (example above), and modern pieces including one with butterflies (late 1980s in memory of Edith and Wlifred Percy Guy)

• World War 1 memorial plaque – an oval with wreath surround, delicately carved, in the pinky brown alabaster beloved of the Arts and Crafts movement - see picture above; flags hang on either side.

Churchyard:

Outside, the Churchyard is not overly packed, and has mostly Victorian and later headstones and crosses of various types. By the Church however, with a railing, is one grand tomb chest with carved arms at the end, and further off is a less ornate tomb chest to the Clutterbuck family.

View in Sarratt Churchyard

Holy Cross, Sarratt's website is at https://hcsp.net/Groups/292564/History_of_Church.aspx.

Nearby is Rickmansworth church with more monuments, or for several other Herts' churches: see this page.