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Interesting Features of the Present Building


plan
Porch door and niche for holy
The North doorway (the church entrance now) is the 15th Century doorway of the old church. Notice on the West side, the niche for a holy water stoup. Just inside the North Door, to the left behind the Perspex screen, is an area for private prayer and reflection.
 

Pew end St Mary fleur-de-lis
The oak pews in the Nave were installed in 1905; the ends are carved with emblems of St Andrew (cross), St Nicholas (anchor) and St Mary (fleur-de-lis).
 

South transept windows
In the North transept, the window dates from 1932. In the South transept, the windows, bomb damaged in the Second World War, were restored and the main parts of the original were set in a frame of opalescent glass. This area is now a children’s worship/play space.
 

Dimsdale memorial
The Dimsdale memorial is on the adjoining wall. This family gave their name to an inn and to a street in the town, also to a fine house in Bull Plain, now re-named Beadle House.
 

Chapel entrance
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel was originally the organ chamber; the present organ was installed in 1890. The furnishings are in memory of faithful members of St Andrew’s ministry and congregation, whose names appear on wall tablets in the chapel. The Altar stone, with incised crosses and a cavity for the reception of relics, is one of only six such slabs in England. It is part of the former St Mary’s Church and was discovered when the public library was built in 1888.


Chapel altar stone
In 1981, the Chapel was enclosed by glass screens. A new wooden Altar, incorporating the old Altar stone, was made by a member of the congregation and new faldstools were installed.
 

Pulpit
The Pulpit was erected in 1888 in the style of the 13th Century. It is made of a mixture of stone and marble: the grey stone is from the Forest of Dean, the red marble is from Devon, the green marble from Connemara and the creamy stone from Caen.


Choir stalls and organ
The Choir Stalls were completed by Messrs Keith & Co. Denmark St. Charing Cross and were dedicated in the autumn of 1899. They closely resemble those in the Church of All Saints, Margaret Street, London.
 

Chancel red encaustic tiles an
The Chancel and Sanctuary are tiled with red encaustic tiles and mosaics, the work being finished early in 1903. The tiles were supplied by Messrs Carter & Co. of Poole and were laid by Messrs Ekins of Hertford. The marble steps were supplied and placed by Mr W Andrews of Ware Road.


High Altar
The High Altar and Reredos date from 1914, in memory of The Revd. Evan Killin Roberts, a former rector.

The Credence Table at the south side of the Altar is believed to be part of the original High Altar table.
 

Dove
A dove was carved by Dove Brothers, the building contractor, in the capitals of the column at the South side of the Chancel steps.
 

Font
The 19th Century Font, originally at ground level, was both moved and raised to a higher position at the back of the church in 2003; the carvings on it represent the three Persons of the Trinity, and a circle the symbol of eternity.

The wooden boards in the Tower record the Kirby and Carde charities, which are still in operation. Commemorative peals are recorded by the bell ringers and framed to hang each side of the inner West Door.
 

Flint wall and memorial 2
The Flint Wall in front of the church originally had wrought iron panels and was completed in October 1900. The architect was Mr John Johnson of Victoria Street EC, and the iron work was requisitioned by the Ministry of Works in 1942.
 

War Memorial Clean after
The Parochial War Memorial to “parishioners and members of St Andrew’s Congregation who had fallen in the war” is situated in the churchyard and was erected about 1920 with funds collected from the parish. The architect was Mr J.N. Comper. The names of members of many well-known families who were lost may be seen carved upon the base. The Memorial was cleaned in 2024.
 

One baptism
In 2003 the West end of the church was re-ordered, providing a kitchen and toilet for the disabled, an office and a flexible-use open space where chairs now replace pews. The late 19th Century font was moved nearer the North door and mounted upon a wooden plinth. Carvings from the original stone base, and representing the Trinity, are now mounted in the office wall.

Glenys
Hello and welcome to St Andrew's. If you are new, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Planning your Visit

Banner group 1140x320A Warm Hello 

No one belongs here more than you.

We look forward to meeting you! Here's some information so that if you're planning a visit you know beforehand what to expect on a Sunday morning.  We have other pages telling you more About Us, our approach to Faith and our Online services.

Where and When

We meet at the Church Building (details below) for our main Sunday Service starting at 10.30am. For your first visit, we recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early to ensure you find a parking space and can settle in before the service begins. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team.

Plan your journey:
While, unfortunately, St Andrew's does not have its own carpark, there is a council-run pay and display carpark a short distance along St Andrew Street, to the east of the church; there is a £1.50 flat-rate charge for parking in this carpark on Sundays (though half an hour or less is free).

This is a useful East Herts Council website page for full details of parking in Hertford.

There are single yellow lines outside the church with parking restrictions, but some 30-minute parking bays are situated on the opposite side of the road for short stays (longer on Sundays).

Open Google Maps

Accessibility: There is wheelchair access, and a sound loop for anyone who needs it. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. There is a disabled toilet towards the back of the church, behind the kitchen.

Our Service

The service will usually begin promptly at 10.30am and will last between 60 and 75 minutes. We enjoy the presence of an excellent choir who help us sing hymns (modern and traditional) as well as provide anthems and special songs through the period of communion. We have a traditional organ but also benefit from music played on the piano and by our band (eg on the Second Sunday of each month when we have an All-Age Service in which our children and young people are fully involved).

Each 10.30am service includes a sermon, prayers and eucharist.

After the service, everyone is invited for coffee and conversation - some like to stay for a quick chat while others remain in the church for a longer time.

Communion

Children and Young People

Children are never too young to come to church. You and your children are very welcome at St Andrew’s. 

We really value worshipping God together as a family, so children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service before being invited to leave for the young people's activities after the first hymn. Junior Church meets in the St Andrew's Centre (our adjoining hall), accessed through the church on Sunday mornings. You will need to go with your children to their groups and register them as part of our child safety policy.

The children and young people then return to the main service in time to join the eucharist and, if confirmed, take Holy Communion or, if not, receive a blessing. We offer a little box of raisins to children being blessed at the altar.

There is a Children's Corner in church where you can go at any time. You will find books, toys and drawing materials there.

Toilet and baby-change facilities are located at the back of church, behind the kitchen.

There's more information here: Children and Young People at St Andrew's

Junior Church celebration

Getting Connected


Home Groups

While Sundays are a great way to meet new people, it is often in smaller gatherings that you can really get to know someone. Being part of one of our small groups allows you to make new friends, share together and support each other. We have a variety of groups that meet throughout the week. Check out Home Groups on our website and see if there’s one that you could join. Alternatively, speak to a member of the Welcome Team who will give you the information that you need.

Serving and Volunteering

If you want to get involved in the life of the church and help us make Sundays run smoothly, you can sign up to serve on a team. Please contact Phil in the Church Office.

Get in touch with us
If you have any questions, please do get in touch. You'll find our contact details here.

We hope that you will feel at home at our church.

Group photo at the top of the page taken by Tim Pike