Church of St Mary, Church Lane, Graveley, Hertfordshire. SG4 7LY - High Level Marks on Waymarking.com

This C12th parish church is Grade I listed. A nave C12th Norman; chancel enlarged from smaller semi-circular aspidal form in the early C13th ( some original Norman work can be seen in the western part of the Chancel ); west tower c1480; nave heightened and re-roofed in C15th; south porch probably C18th; north aisle, north vestry and general restoration 1887. Built of flint rubble with stone dressings, the steep old red tile roofs, pyramidal to the tower topped by lead covered standing cross with octagonal tapered shaft. Low pitched lead roof to the nave.

The church is next to Graveley Hall, a medieval manor house. There are a few other farm houses about which is all that remains of the original village, the village now moved westward to lie along the B197 ( old A1 and Roman road Stevenage to Baldock section ). The church and manor house lie in a shallow valley extending south from the Chesfield Downs.

From Wikipedia: 'The Great Flood of 1968 was a flood caused by a pronounced trough of low pressure which brought exceptionally heavy rain and thunderstorms to South East England and France in mid-September 1968, with the worst on Sunday 15 September 1968, and followed earlier floods in South West England during July. The areas worst hit were Crawley, East Grinstead, Horley, Lewisham, Petersfield, Hampshire, Redhill, Tilbury, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge.'

Although the worst rain was quite to the south of Hertfordshire, there was considerable rainfall across the whole of the Midlands and the lie of the land and other man-made obstructions was sufficient to cause a back-up of water which flooded this small valley and for the water to enter the church.

The flood level is recorded in the church with a wooden plaque affixed to the south wall of the nave just to the right of the south entrance door. It carries the flood level line and four painted shields with the wording '16 September 1968 / FLOOD / LEVEL / in this church'

The four shields represent, from bottom left and anti-clockwise, St.George, Hertfordshire, the Archdiocese of Canterbury, and the Diocese of St.Albans.

Natural or man made event?: Natural What type of marker?: Wall plaque When did this occur?: 16th September 1968 Website related to the event..: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
A picture showing the level along with any markers telling of what had occurred can be used. Better yet would be a picture of you or someone standing next to the high level mark, that would show if you would have been just wading or completely submersed.

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