St Faith's Church, Hexton Explained

St Faith's Church, Hexton
Pushpin Map:Hertfordshire
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Map Caption:Location in Hertfordshire
Location:Hexton, Hertfordshire
Country:England
Coordinates:51.9608°N -0.3932°W
Osgraw:TG 10382 30368
Website:National Church Trust
Dedication:Saint Faith
Dedicated Date:1114
Heritage Designation:Grade II*
Designated Date:27 May 1968
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Gothic
Groundbreaking:1108
Materials:Limestone with later Brick additions
Vicar:Revd Andrew Johnson
Deanery:Hitchin
Archdeaconry:St Albans
Diocese:St Albans
Province:Canterbury

Saint Faith's Church, Hexton is the Anglican parish church for the village of Hexton, Hertfordshire. The church is within the parish of Barton-le-Clay in the Diocese of St Albans.[1] The church has been a Grade II* listed building since 1968.[2]

History

The Parish Church of St Faith's, Hexton was originally built in 1108 and dedicated in 1114, it was then rebuilt with the original core in 1254 and dedicated to the French Virgin Martyr Saint Faith.[3] The southern aisle was built before the northern aisle which was added in the 1633 renovation of the church.[2] The existing red brick parts of the church were added later in the 1824 renovation which was carried out by Joseph Andrew de Lautour and his wife Caroline Young. De Lautour was the local landowner of Hexton Manor and descended from the senior line of the Dukes of Bouillon.[2] [4] Throughout the interior of the church there are memorials to the Lautour family. The Tower of St Faith's, Hexton collapsed into a 'decorative ruin' during a particularly hard winter in 1947.[5]

In more recent times the church has been transformed into a community centre since 2003 and has been fitted with many conveniences.[5] However there are still Church of England services every first and third Sunday at 6 p.m. for 45 minutes.[6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/7654/ St Faith's, Hexton on the Church of England website
  2. Web site: Church of Saint Faith . Historic England . Historic England 2022 . 19 August 2022.
  3. Web site: Church of Saint Faith . Historic England . Historic England 2022 . 19 August 2022.
  4. Book: Burke . Bernard, Sir . A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britain and Ireland . Harrison . Pall Mall, London . 862 . 4 . Burke's Peerage.
  5. Web site: St Faith . National Churches Trust . National Churches Trust . 19 August 2022.
  6. Web site: St Faith . A Church Near You: Church of England . Church of England . 19 August 2022.