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Hertfordshire HER & St Albans UAD

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HHER Number:9092
Type of record:Building
Name:ST PETER'S CHURCH, BERKHAMSTED

Summary

Medieval parish church, possibly the largest in the county; altered by Wyatville and restored by Butterfield

Grid Reference:SP 993 077
Map Sheet:SP90NE
Parish:Berkhamsted, Dacorum, Hertfordshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Monument Types

  • CHURCH (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)

Protected Status

  • Area of Archaeological Significance
  • Listed Building (II) 1/8

Full description

Church of at least five periods, the earliest phase dating to c.1200. Restored by Wyatville c.1820 and again by Butterfield in 1866-88 <1>. The original 13th century almost cruciform plan was added to in the 14th and 15th centuries; it may be the second largest church in the county, built of flint and Totternhoe stone <2>. Wyatville tore down monuments and covered the church in stucco, but almost nothing of his work now remains apart from a blocked Gothick niche. Butterfield refaced the church (except the tower) in knapped flint, altered the roofs, and deliberately preserved old features <2>.
The church was built c.1200, and may have been on a new site as part of a reconfiguration of the town layout with new burgage plots and marketplace (see [4447]). For burials, see [12198]; as there was little space around the church it also had a detached graveyard [4900] associated with the medieval Rectory, on the hillside opposite. In 1842 this was succeeded by a new detached graveyard [31367] on the east side of Rectory Lane.


HCC (General/Archaeology), St Peter's church, Berkhamsted, from the west, PNO 20316 (Photograph). SHT16536.


HCC (General/Archaeology), View of Church Lane, Berkhamsted, PNO 20318 (Photograph). SHT16538.


Roberts, Eileen, 1974, Totternhoe stone and flint in Hertfordshire churches; Medieval Archaeol 18, 66-89 (Article in serial). SHT2130.


<1> Pevsner, N, & Cherry, B, 1977, Buildings of England: Hertfordshire (2nd edition), - p95-7 (Bibliographic reference). SHT7257.


<2> Cook, John, 2004, Berkhamsted St Peter; SW Herts Archaeol & Hist Soc Bulletin 79 (spring 2004), 13-19 (Article in serial). SHT8606.

Sources and further reading

---Photograph: HCC (General/Archaeology). St Peter's church, Berkhamsted, from the west. PNO 20316.
---Photograph: HCC (General/Archaeology). View of Church Lane, Berkhamsted. PNO 20318.
---Article in serial: Roberts, Eileen. 1974. Totternhoe stone and flint in Hertfordshire churches; Medieval Archaeol 18, 66-89.
<1>Bibliographic reference: Pevsner, N, & Cherry, B. 1977. Buildings of England: Hertfordshire (2nd edition). - p95-7.
<2>Article in serial: Cook, John. 2004. Berkhamsted St Peter; SW Herts Archaeol & Hist Soc Bulletin 79 (spring 2004), 13-19.

Related records

12198Parent of: HUMAN REMAINS, ST PETER'S CHURCHYARD, BERKHAMSTED (Find Spot)
31367Related to: RECTORY LANE CEMETERY, RECTORY LANE, BERKHAMSTED (Monument)

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