"St Mary Magdalene Church and Flaunden Village"
Available from St Mary Magdalene, Flaunden . (Price 50p)
This Hertfordshire hamlet is sometimes known as "the village that moved". The original village was on the banks of the river Chess, a couple of miles or so away, between Latimer and Chenies. The village is not mentioned in the Domesday Book, the earliest records being from the Middle Ages, when a manor of Flaunden was held by Nicholasde Flaunden, whose son Thomas probably built the original church in about 1238. Later, in1403, mention is made of Elizabeth, wife of Robert Wilughby, Chivaler who died" seised of 40 acres of land and 6 acres of wood in Flaunden".
The Old Church
The site of this church is a few hundred yards East of Latimer on the North bank of the river Chess. Nothing remains now although in 1910 traces of thirteenth century wall paintings survived In 1477 a Papal Bull was granted to empower the inhabitants of Flaunden to bury their dead within the precincts of the church (rather than at their mother church of Hempstead). It is curious that this was applied for as in 1308 the Bishop of Winchester had decreed that every chapel more than two miles from its mother church should have its own burial ground.
The church has vanished under thick undergrowth but a photograph hanging in the baptistry of the present church shows that the South transept window and a wall were standing as recently as 1930 when Services were still held in the ruins. In 1988 as part of the 150thAnniversary celebrations of the present church a short Service of Thanksgiving was held on the small mounds of flints, earth and moss which are all that now remain.
All that remains of the old village now is the tomb of William Liberty, a brickmaker of Chorleywood and his wife Alice who died in 1777 and 1809 respectively. At his own requesthe was buried on a part of his estate rather than by the church.
The New Church
St Mary Magdalene Church is recognised as the first church designed by Scott, one of the most famous of Victorian architects who also designed St Pancras Station, the Albert Memorial and other notable buildings. In his memoirs, he described the church as "the poor barn designed for my Uncle King". It is a simple building of brick and flint. With a single nave, a small vestry on the north side, a gallery at the west end, a south porch and a small turret containing a clock and a single bell. Originally three bells, dated 1578, were taken from the old church. These bells were rung at the time of the Spanish Armada in 1598. Some stories suggest that two were stolen, others that they were sold to pay for the new church. One of the bells has been traced, to St John's in Uxbridge, one hangs in Flaunden church and the fate of the third remains a mystery.
The bell was not all that was brought up the hill from the old church. The font is a fine example of mediaeval stonework. The communion rails are reputed to be made of wood from the old church as is the massive south entrance door. The tiles in the porch are also from the old church. Now badly worn, they are examples of fourteenth century vitrified tile work showing "arabesque patterns, lions in various attitudes, the heads of kings,
queens and saints" according to an 1870's report. On special occasions the church uses a chalice which was brought from the old church. It is hallmarked 1577 and reported to have been given by Elizabeth I. There are three stained glass windows, two on the south wall and the magnificent east window, which was put in place in 1958. The work of John Hayward of the Faithcraft Works of St Albans and Westminster, it shows Christ triumphant after the resurrection. The central section was the gift of the Moore family in memory of their parents who are buried in the churchyard. The family firm, Moores Motorcycles, began business at the Old Forge in Hogpits Bottom in 1920 and still trades in Hemel Hempstead.The side panels in the window were added after money was raised by the villagers.