Holwell

Last week's trip was to the NW of the county, an area I am unfamiliar with but which I found attractive; particularly as you drive south west out of the northern fenland like plateau and into the foothills of the Chilterns and then heading south and eastwards back towards Knebworth where the country opens up again.

On top of that this was a highly successful journey with 6 out of 10 churches being open (a caveat to that being that most of the churches I visited are either Victorian rebuilds or heavily restored but still and all this is a 'good' area).

St Peter falls into the Victorian build category and a not very good one. Excepting a C16 brass to Robert Wodehouse there's little to no interest here but it was welcoming and open.

ST PETER. Mostly by Ewan Christian, 1877 (GR), but apparently with the use of old materials. - Brass to Robert Wodehouse d. 1515 with no effigy but a chalice with wafer and at the top instead of a coat of arms two wodehouses (sic) or wild men.

Holwell. It keeps in its modern church a most curious brass designed for the rector of the old one 400 years ago. His name was Richard Wodehouse, and his crest may have been a wild man of the woods, for two of these weird creatures are drawn on the brass, though below them appears a chalice to show that this was a priest and no wild man. The creatures are known as wood-wodes and are probably a play on his name. The church, rebuilt in 1877, incorporates material from its predecessor. We learned here that land in London and other property left as a charity to the village 150 years ago (when it brought in £60) now yields an income of over £1000, so that out of it almshouses and village halls have been raised. Hitchin Grammar School has received grants from it, and £160 a year is spent in helping those who need help.

Flickr.