Rood Screen Stairs - All.Saints' Church, Church Lane, Dane End, Little Munden, Hertfordshire. SG12 0NR - Stone Church Artefacts on Waymarking.com

This relatively isolated parish church is Grade I listed. It consists of a C11th nave and chancel, a C14th north aisle and west half of the north-east chapel, C15th west tower and east part of the north-east chapel. The church was restored by G. and H. Godwin in 1868-9 (Pevsner) or 1870-75 (board in Church) when the north and south porches and the south vestry were added.

Built of flint rubble with flint facing and stone dressings with steep old red tile roofs, and a lead spike with weather vane on the tower and looks quite ordinary from the outside. Inside a tall rectangular nave leads to a narrower square-ended chancel with an C11th arched opening in line with the north door indicating an original north porticus or aisle. Originally the imposts supported a round arch but this was given a pointed arch in the 1868 restoration but the capitals each side retain three projecting rolls with herringbone hatching. Together with the small, plain and much renewed C12th south door in the chancel this proves the chancel and nave as being 800yrs old.

The C14th enlargements involved a two-bay north arcade and north aisle with octagonal piers and double-chamfered arches and a west arch into the north-east chapel. By this arch is a rood screen stair way built into the north-east corner of the north aisle with Tudor arched upper and lower openings, the lower with a timber door, and a corresponding narrow passage through the south wall of the north aisle to the north wall of the nave.

The rood screen, which is no longer in existence, was part of the church furnishings that ran the full width of the church, enclosing the chapel at the east end of the north aisle as well as separating the nave from the chancel. In Medieval times the rood loft was where the Great Rood or 'Christ Crucified', a large carved figure of Christ on the cross, was placed, normally supported by statues of saints, the Virgin Mary and St.John being favourites. The word rood is derived from the Saxon word rood or rode, meaning "cross" or "crucifix".

Approximate Age of Artefact: C14th Relevant Website: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Please supply an original picture when visiting this waymark.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.