St Peter’s Church building may look unassuming, but it is of immense historical and architectural importance. Very few chapels or churches were built in the Jacobean period, and St Peter’s is the first entirely brick-built church of its style anywhere in the world.
St. Peter's Church, Buntingford
Much of Buntingford lay in the ancient parish of Layston, with its parish church of St Bartholomew’s set on the hill on the other side of the River Rib. St Peter’s Church was originally built as a chapel of ease dedicated to St Peter to make it easier for parishioners in Buntingford to attend worship on a Sunday. It was started in 1614 and the dedication stone (on the outside above the east window) is dated 1615. It was licensed for public worship (and probably consecrated) in 1620 and finished later with the north and south transepts.
The final addition by Alexander Strange was the apse, although it was shorter then than it is now. St Peter’s is grade 1 listed because of its great historical importance as the oldest brick-built church or chapel built in this style anywhere in the world. People often presume it is a nineteenth-century building as this style became popular then, but arguably it is the prototype for all those other buildings.
The dedication stone however does not refer to it as a chapel of ease, but as “Domus Orationis1615”. Roughly translated this means “House of Preaching”, or “House of Lectures” 1615
Why build a preaching house?
Back in 1615, building a chapel where people could learn about God was radical stuff. Until 1538 it had been illegal to own a copy of the Bible in English. Before the Sixteenth Century Reformation, services were conducted entirely in Latin (which few people understood), and there was no sermon. Most people were therefore very ignorant about much of what they professed to believe.
During the reigns of Edward VI and Elizabeth I, it was felt that congregations needed to be taught about Christianity. However, most parsons lacked the education and experience to be able to write sermons. Books of sermons, or homilies, were published which parsons were expected to read from instead. It was very rare, particularly outside major centres, for a parson to write his own sermon. The introduction to the book of homilies says ‘all they which are appointed Ministers have not the gift of preaching sufficiently to instruct the people, which is committed unto them, whereof great inconveniences might rise, and ignorance still be maintained’.
A radical step for Buntingford
When the Reverend Alexander Strange decided to build a chapel dedicated to preaching in the small market town of Buntingford, it was a radical step. It was also a profound statement of confidence in the people of Buntingford. Strange was clearly a very good preacher; on one occasion in 1608, he preached at the Hertford Assizes. The people of Buntingford also appreciated his sermons. Legend has it that he used an hourglass to time his sermons to precisely one hour. On one occasion the congregation roared for more so he turned the hourglass over and preached for another hour. After the second hour, it happened again, leading to a three-hour long sermon.
Alexander Strange referred to the parish of Layston as a “Little Commonwealth”, emphasising his view of how parish society should work together and support each other for the common good. He fervently defended the hard-working people of Layston parish. His views on the less hard-working people of other parishes living in Buntingford might seem harsh to modern readers.
Early History of the Parish
The history of the site before the building of St Peter’s is shrouded in mystery and, as there is scant documentary evidence and archaeological evidence is locked beneath the existing building, we will probably never know for certain. Historians generally agree that there was a dilapidated chapel on the site of the current building which was demolished for the building of St Peter’s, and Philip Plumb has made an overwhelming case to suggest the medieval chapel dedicated to St John the Baptist was located south of the River Rib.
Anything about the chapel St Peter’s replaced is therefore very much unknown, including its dedication. Its location suggests that may have been an ancient foundation, replacing an earlier pagan temple. It may also have been a medieval chapel built like the Aspenden Oratory Chapel, to serve travellers on the road.
The parish boundaries of Buntingford
When parishes were created their boundaries followed those of the various pieces of land granted to the church to support the priest. Often this partly reflected secular land ownership. In most parishes, those lands lay next to each other, but sometimes the position of those lands led to odd-shaped parishes, and even small outposts of parishes elsewhere referred to as ‘detached’ parts of the parish. The town of Buntingford had some very odd shaped parish boundaries running through it between Layston and Aspenden parishes and Layston and Wyddial parishes. Even more bizarrely, in the medieval era, there was a detached part of Throcking parish located in Buntingford called “Vabadun’s fee” which contained the chapel of St John.
Buntingford was also unusual as it not only crossed parish boundaries but diocesan boundaries as well. At this point, Ermine Street (running between London and Lincoln) was the diocesan boundary between the London and Lincoln dioceses. Layston and Wyddial lay within the diocese of London, but Aspenden and Throcking within the diocese of Lincoln.
Buntingford was therefore a meeting point between land ownership, between parishes, and between dioceses. This probably explains why Buntingford grew as a market town. As no one individual had control of Buntingford, and the market charter was granted to the lords and tenants of Buntingford, it is likely that the Buntingford market was run by a guild based at a local chapel. If the market were based on the detached part of Throcking parish south of the River Rib, then the guild would probably have been based at St John’s. If however the market was located roughly where it currently is, then the predecessor of St Peter’s would probably have been home to the guild, and it would explain why the market is adjacent to St Peter’s.
Building St Peter’s Chapel, Buntingford
When Alexander Strange became Vicar of Layston, the old chapel on the current site of St Peter’s was dilapidated and the parish church of St Bartholomew’s was a distance from the residents of the town. Getting there involved crossing a ford, which when the River Rib was full could be deep. Strange resolved to rebuild the chapel, to make life easier for them, and to provide somewhere in which to teach them about God and the Bible.
He started in 1614 and the dedication stone “Domus Orationis 1615” which roughly translates as “house of preaching” or “house of lectures” was inserted during the following year. It was licensed for public worship (and probably consecrated) in 1620 (probably whilst oriented East-West). The North and South transepts were added later, one source suggests by 1628, and the apse later again. The new chapel was dedicated to St Peter. This may have been a continuation of the previous dedication, or may be linked to Alexander Strange having attended Peterhouse in Cambridge. (Or indeed for some other reason unknown to us.)
Raising the funds
Then as now building a chapel was not cheap. St Peter’s cost £418 13s & 8d to build, which was a great deal of money considering that a labourer’s daily wage then was about 6d (2½p). Historically, wealthy benefactors had built churches and chapels. By the early seventeenth-century, very few new churches or chapels were being built. Alexander Strange didn’t have the benefit of a wealthy benefactor and so he appealed to the public.
Giving money himself, appealing to townspeople and others slowly brought in the money needed. (It is quite likely that he also used income from his parishes in Essex to help fund the construction). The playwright Ben Jonson famously walked from London to Edinburgh in 1618. He recalls staying overnight and going to St Bartholomew’s where his companion “contributed two pieces, to the newly erected chappell wrought by the meanes of Mr Strange the minister”. Alexander Strange’s motto when raising the money was “beg hard or beggar’d”. King James I had a hunting lodge in Royston, probably travelling past the new chapel on several occasions. Maybe some of his entourage even contributed to the building cost?
The original orientation of the chapel
The chapel was probably built of brick because brick was more readily available and affordable than stone in this area. The church was originally constructed facing East-West before the North and South transepts were added. Although it was originally oriented East-West (and probably was when licensed), the addition of the North and South transepts and the re-orientation of the church within just a few years confirmed Alexander Strange’s Puritan credentials since the direction in which the priest faced when celebrating Holy Communion had a coded significance.
God was presumed to be in the east, so Catholic priests stood with their backs to the congregation and faced east at the altar, symbolically facing God. Reformed priests pulled the altar away from the wall, stood behind it, and faced their congregation instead (ie west). Puritan ministers, however, stood at the side of the communion table facing North. This was so they were not standing in the way between the people and God.
St Peter’s comprises a chancel 21ft by 13ft with an apse (whose height was raised by the Victorians), a nave 39ft 6in by 21ft, east and west transepts each 11ft 6in deep by 24ft wide (all internal dimensions). It is not known whether Alexander Strange added the apse or whether it was a later addition.
As befitting a preaching house, the pulpit was in a prominent position. A brass plaque in the church shows Alexander Strange preaching to his congregation. (The image contains a fair bit of artistic license).
The original features
It was a simple design. There was little adornment in the chapel, and the Victorians removed many original fittings in their refurbishment of 1899. Nonetheless, there are surviving features from Alexander Strange’s day; the brass plaque, of course; the gallery containing the organ loft is held up with the original Jacobean pillars; the wooden lectern was constructed from bits of the original pews, and the communion table is also original. Perhaps the most important item remaining however is the clock.
There was no point in having a new chapel to ensure people could attend worship if they didn’t know when to come, so Alexander Strange bought a clock for his new church. Church clocks were very unusual at that time and Alexander Strange went to the best “turret” clockmaker of his day, Leonard Tennant who was based in the City of London. The clock only had one hand and needed winding every 24 hours. This was replaced by the Victorians with a smaller 2 handed movement which only needs winding once a week.
Fortunately, the Victorians abandoned the original clock in the loft. It has more recently been brought down and is now on display in the church. Very few of Leonard Tennant’s clocks survive, one is a prime exhibit in the British Museum, and another in the Science Museum. St Peter’s example is even more special in that it is still in its original location for which it was made.
The brass and glass
The brass shows Alexander Strange preaching in a chapel, which incidentally, bears only limited resemblance to St Peter’s, and is dated 1620. It is highly unusual to find a brass of this date with a picture like this on it. The north window contains a stained glass armorial inserted in 1622 by William and Mary Reynolds. They were the son and daughter of Lewes (Lodovic) Reynolds, Vicar of Layston from 1572-1588.
The church did contain more stained glass, which was removed in the 18th century. There was a coat of arms in the east window and another in the north window. These were removed by Sir Hanson Berney, 8th Baronet of Parkehall in Redham in the County of Norfolk. (At that time he also resided at Little Court in Buntingford.) There was also a stone with the initials P I and the date 1631 in the north wall, which was removed at the same time.
Little is recorded of the changes made by Sir Hanson Berney or of other alterations. It would appear that along with many other churches St Peter’s was affected by the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement in the 19th century. Philip Plumb records that the reredos behind the communion table was made for the 1899 reordered church from the “old communion table”. Such altars were introduced into churches by the Oxford Movement and were the antithesis of what St Peter’s was built for. Often the Oxford Movement changes proved deeply unpopular with the congregations. Sometimes, charities were set up to buy the patronage (the right to choose the clergy) of churches affected to return them back to their roots. St Peter’s patron is one such charity, CPAS, which suggests that the catholicisation of St Peter’s was both short-lived and unpopular!
The Victorian changes to St Peter’s, Buntingford
In 1899 the chapel was “thoroughly restored”, so changing the appearance both inside and out. The apse was raised in height. A vestry, where the kitchen now is, was added, “new brick windows were inserted throughout” (Philip Plumb suggests 7 new windows to make a total of 19), and a new roof was put on (using the old tiles where possible). The fact that it proves very difficult to identify the new and old windows, and where the Jacobean brick stops and the Victorian brick starts, indicates that a very good job of matching the bricks was done.
If you look closely it is possible to see the differences in the bricks, although they are slight. This shows that most of the original building remains. There are some replacement bricks in places where presumably the originals had become damaged. The twin towers on the north wall were removed, and the bell turret added. Finally, an ugly porch was put on the front. In fact, the visible part of the north wall was mostly rebuilt. This means the view from Market Hill is that most affected by the Victorian facelift.
Inside the original carved pews were removed and replaced with “modern seating”, which was uncomfortable yellow pine pews. The lectern was made from original pews, and as mentioned before the reredos used the 19th-century altar. The text of the Ten Commandments was painted on the walls of the apse. The barrel roof we now see was inserted, but the big oak beams you can see are original. The inside was re-plastered and the brick arch between the dais and the apse was added. At the opening service on the 18th October 1900, the bishop remarked that money had been tight, and although they hadn’t achieved all they hoped to accomplish they might take credit that they had done what they could.
Although the changes left most of the structure unaltered, unfortunately, they made the church look more late-Victorian and less Jacobean. The bricks the Victorians used were also softer than the originals. This is evident on the apse, where the newer bricks used to increase the height are much more weathered than the older bricks below. Most of the damaged brickwork which so disfigures the outside at the moment dates from the 1899 reordering. The changes were not universally popular at the time, according to Rev Fillingham (Rector of Hexton near Hitchin) “a unique and beautiful building has been ruined by a band of Goths … awful seats of dazzling pine have replaced the pews and are enough to afflict with jaundice any man of taste who may have the misfortune to enter the building”.
The 1970s changes to St Peter’s
By the 1970s, the problems with the 1900 re-ordering were apparent, as was the lack of a church hall. Permission was granted to change the church into a multi-purpose church building. To do this the controversial pews were removed and replaced with moveable chairs. The upstairs room and a front extension incorporating a new entrance and vestry (now used as the parish office) were built.
The shape of the extension was in fact dictated by the need to hide the fire escape from the upstairs room. (This was a requirement of listed building consent). The extension cost £25,000 and was carried out first. The internal work was carried out mostly by the vicar (John Moore) and members of the congregation. It was done to a very tight budget, often using second-hand materials (many of which were donated). This work was finally completed in 1984, giving us the church as it looks today.
Who was the Reverend Alexander Strange?
The Reverend Alexander Strange was born in London and trained for the priesthood at Peterhouse College, Cambridge. He was ordained by the Bishop of Colchester as a Deacon on 25th September 1594 at Witham Parish Church in Essex to serve in Bishop’s Stortford and was given a testimonial by Francis Burley, Vicar of Bishops Stortford and Thomas Monford, Rector of Anstie. Strange was subsequently ordained as a priest on 1st March 1597 when he was appointed curate in Thorley. He became Vicar of Layston on April 16th 1604. In a short 1714 biography he was described as “a person of pious disposition and publick spirit” and on the brass plaque in the church dated 1620 he is described as “little in stature but eminently great in mind”.
In the Seventeenth century, it was not unusual for clergy to hold more than one parish. Alexander Strange was no exception and was made Rector of Abbess Roding in Essex in 1615, a post which he relinquished in about 1628. He was also made Rector of neighbouring White Roding (or Roding Alba) in 1615 but resigned that in 1617.
The regard in which Alexander Strange was held is demonstrated by him being made the “Prebend of Consumpta-Per-Mare” by St Paul’s Cathedral in 1637. These prebendaries were awarded to senior clergy, including archdeacons and bishops. They helped top-up insufficient income from their archbishoprics, bishoprics and archdeaconries. The patron of that Prebend was King Charles, and that Alexander Strange, vicar of Layston was considered senior enough to receive this prebendary by the king’s gift shows the esteem in which he was held. The Prebendary of Consumptra-Per-Mare is interesting in itself. It was an estate near Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex, but has long since been washed into the sea through coastal erosion. The name Consumptra-Per-Mare means eaten by the sea.
Alexander Strange’s evangelical position
Alexander Strange was very much an evangelical in his theology and this is shown clearly in St Peter’s Church. The building of the church as a preaching house shows the value he placed on explaining Christianity and the meaning of the Bible to his parishioners. His orienting of the church North-South was an even more profound statement. In the code of the day, he was stating that the people of God can converse directly with God and don’t need a priest to act on their behalf. Yet, Alexander Strange was clearly very Anglican (ie Church of England). His involvement with its structures, his role at St Paul’s Cathedral, and the high esteem in which he was held by those in senior positions demonstrates this. In the early Seventeenth century there was a doctrinal divide within the Church of England between Puritans and Anglicans.
Alexander Strange seems to have been both, and very comfortable being both. Maybe it was this combination which meant that St Peter’s survived with its North-South orientation when most, if not all, other North-South chapels were forced to change to East-West in the 1630s under Archbishop Laud. It also enabled him to remain in post from the mid-1640s onwards. This was a period when many clergy were ejected (including his neighbour in Aspenden and Westmill, the Reverend Richard Taylor). He was also able to steer his parish through the turbulence of the Civil War virtually unscathed. (Records show that Buntingford appears to have had Parliamentarian leanings which may well have been shared by Alexander Strange).
Deacons of the parish
Alexander Strange was not on his own in Layston parish. He had a succession of deacons and curates helping him; those recorded include:
Richardus Tayler Deacon 1612
Willimus Thackham Curate 1613
Samuel White Curate 1615
Michael Pipple Deacon 1616
Robertus Pearson Curate 1618
Thomas Acies Deacon 1621
Johannes Meriton Curate 1627
Samuel Ball(s) Curate 1640
It is not known how long any of these clergy stayed. However, in several cases, they took up posts in nearby parishes a few years after their appointment in Layston. It therefore appears that whilst St Peter’s was being built, Alexander Strange had a clergy staff team to help him. The Richard Taylor who was deacon here from 1612 should not be confused with the Richard Taylor who was Rector of Aspenden from 1610, later becoming Rector of Westmill as well.
Death of Alexander Strange
Alexander Strange died on the 8th September 1650 and was buried inside St Peter’s chapel. After the restoration of the monarchy, he was remembered for having remained faithful to the church and the Church of England through the Commonwealth period. He appointed his former curate John Merriton, by then Vicar of Sacombe to be his executor.
John Meriton ensured that Alexander Strange was buried inside his St Peter’s and placed a stone on the top which read:
Novissimae sub hoc Marmore sonitum Tubae opperiuntur Erubiae Alexandri Strange, Theologia Baccalaurei hujusq; Parochiae nuper Vicarii. Qui cum 46 annos in populo erudiendo paceq; inter litigantes concilianda consumpsisset. Cumq; inter alia pia molimina. Hoc Dei Domicilium, instaurari currasset 8 Decemb. 80 aetat. anno Nato Domino 1550 Caelebs occubuit Moerens posuit J.M.
Or translated into English:
Let it be known that beneath this stone, awaiting the sound of the last trump, are the remains of Alexander Strange, Bachelor of Theology, and late vicar of this parish, who for 46 years was taken up with instructing the people and mediating peace between quarrellers, and, amongst other good works, caused the establishment of this house of God. He died unmarried, in his eightieth year, on 8th December in the year of our Lord 1650. J. M. erected this memorial.’
St. Peter's Role as the Parish Church of Buntingford
Over time St Bartholomew’s became more rundown and St Peter’s was more and more used as the de-facto parish church, with marriages being permitted in 1938. In law, however, St Peter’s only became the parish church in 1952, at which time St Bartholomew’s was relegated to a churchyard chapel.
The future of St Peter’s church
St Peter’s stands now and for the future as a testament to Alexander Strange’s vision: a place of worship accessible to all in Buntingford, a church for the people, a place where people could come to meet with God and to learn about God. St Peter’s was also intended to be a place that would be a centre of the “Little Commonwealth” of Buntingford, in other words, a central point of the community. These needs are as important now as they were then, and St Peter’s will continue to meet those needs now and into the future.
The styles of worship may have changed, three-hour long sermons are no longer popular with congregations! But in a sense, although the services and songs may have changed considerably, the underlying style of worship has remained constant. Alexander Strange built St Peter’s to be a contemporary Evangelical Church of England Church, and it still is! The style of worship reflected Evangelical Anglican worship then, and the modern style reflects Evangelical Anglican worship now.
Encouraging a welcome to all
Alexander Strange welcomed and encouraged all the residents of his parish in Buntingford to worship at St Peter’s, and St Peter’s continues to welcome and encourage all the residents of Buntingford who choose to come.
Alexander Strange was remembered for “mediating peace between quarrellers”. St Peter’s is a church founded on God’s love for us with a desire to share that love with the community. Hopefully, there is less call now for “mediating peace between quarrellers”, but St Peter’s continues that legacy as summarised by St Paul in his letter to the Philippians: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”
Looking to the future
Looking to the future, it is hoped that St Peter’s will serve the community more and more. It is possible that the children’s room, built upstairs in the 1980s, will prove insufficient and more space for children’s and young people’s work will need to be created. More re-ordering and building work may then be required, hopefully, it will be sensitive. If it is done with insufficient funds it will just continue the tradition created by Alexander Strange!
Repairs will firstly be needed, though, on the damaged brickwork, most of which dates to the 1899 reordering. The 1970s extension on the front has always had a leaky roof. Repeated attempts have been made to remedy the problem, but none have worked. It may, in the end, require a more radical rebuild.
The Parish Boundary Map
The parish boundary map of 1887 highlights the complexity of the parish boundaries. The detached parts of Throcking are bounded in blue, and the boundary of Layston parish is bounded in Green. The boundary of Layston to the east of the High Street is with Aspenden, but the boundary to the west of the high street is with Wyddial. Further north up the High Street are detached parts of Layston parish. The current Vicarage is even located on what was then a detached part of Layston parish.
Acknowledgements & Bibliography
Thanks must go to many people who have assisted with accuracy and information, too many to list. To single out just two, the late Philip Plumb did so much research, and much of what is included in this reflects the fruits of that research. Heather Falvey who helped edit Alexander Strange and Thomas Heaton’s Memoranda Book has also offered invaluable information and assistance in the writing of this.
Repertorium ecclesiasticum parochiale Londinense: – an ecclesiastical parochial history of the diocese of London. Richard Newcourt, 1716
Magna Britannia antiqua & nova: or, a new, exact, and comprehensive survey of the ancient and present state of Great-Britain. 1738
An attempt towards recovering an account of the numbers and sufferings of the clergy of the Church of England, Heads of Colleges, Fellows, Scholars, &c. who were sequester’d, harrass’d, &c. in the late times of the Grand Rebellion. John Walker 1714.
History of the Worthies of England. Thomas Fuller, 1662.
The historical antiquities of Hertfordshire. Sir Henry Chauncy, 1700.
“This Little Commonwealth”: Layston parish memorandum book, 1607-c1650 & 1704-c1747. Edited by Heather Falvey & Steve Hindle, 2003.
Scallop Shell Marked Turret Clocks. Jeremy Evans, published in Antiquarian Horology, December 1999, March 2000 & June 2000.
A tale of two towns: Buntingford and Standon in the later Middle Ages. Mark Bailey, Journal of Medieval History 19 (1993) 351-371.
St. Peter’s Church, Buntingford. Philip W Plumb, 1985.