The original church of St Mary's dates from Saxon times, which makes it one of the oldest churches in Hertfordshire. Part of the original Saxon building still remains in the south and west walls. In early Norman times the parish was known as Berkhampstead St. Mary and the entry in the Domesday Survey relating to Berkhampstead refers to a priest with fourteen villeins (tenant farmers).
By the 13th century buildings had extended south along the former Akeman Street towards the Norman castle and effectively became a separate settlement, taking with it the old name of Berkhampstead. The church of St Peter, in present day Berkhamsted, dates from this time and with the creation of its own parish Berkhampstead St. Mary subsequently became known as “Northcherche” or the North Church, the church to the north of St Peter’s. The name of the village has since evolved into the current Northchurch.
St Mary's was subsequently extended eastwards between the 11th and 14th centuries to form a cruciform building with flint walls. A stone-faced tower was added over the crossing during the 15th century. A new north aisle, vestries and south porch were added in the 1880s at which time the existing pews and floor were added.
The internal decor of St Mary’s reflects Victorian "sensitivities", with renewed windows containing 19th and early 20th century stained glass. However, a major re-ordering project was undertaken in 1980, when the organ and choir stalls were moved from the north transept (now the Lady Chapel) to the west end of the church, and a nave altar constructed beneath the crossing. The Lady Chapel was refurbished in 1997 and a stained glass window introduced into the south transept in 2000 to mark the new millennium.
Attached to the wall of the south transept, beneath the millennium window, is a medieval stone sarcophagus.
St Mary's is in the patronage of the Duchy of Cornwall. The church contains a white ensign that was presented to St Marys in 1905 by the then Duke of Cornwall, (the future George V). Fifteen years later this flag was used to cover the newly constructed Northchurch War Memorial which was unveiled on behalf of the new Duke of Cornwall, (the future Edward VIII), by Rear Admiral Lionel Halsey. Following the unveiling of the War Memorial on 6th March 1920 a replacement flag was given to St Mary's by Edward, Duke of Cornwall. The current flag was donated to the church by the current Duke of Cornwall, Prince Charles, in 1971.
The story of Peter the Wild Boy has intrigued generations of visitors to Northchurch. The simple tombstone immediately in front of the church porch gives away very little about the person buried there. nside the church, on the south wall of the nave, there is a brass tablet, which relates something of the strange history of the Wild Boy, as well as providing a portrait of Peter as an old man. For more information (and another cache), see GC6NQF9: Peter the Wild Boy
On to the cache...
The cache is an uncomplicated offset multi. Go to the given co-ords, gather up some information and plug the numbers into the formula below to work out the final location
On the West call of the church there is a large foundation type stone dedicated to Mrs Margaret Deering.
A - How many Deering's are mentioned on the stone
B - the last line, the age was XY years. B = (X-Y)
C - number of words in the 5th line
D - number of words in the 8th line.
The cache can be found at:
N 51° 46.ABC W 000° 35.DCB
You can validate your puzzle solution with certitude.
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