River Chess - Sarratt Church End

River Chess
The Chess flows eastwards and then turns south eastwards and south

Post to the west Chenies
Post to the south Chorleywood Estate

Church Lane
Holy Cross. This is the parish church. It was founded in the 12th, although there was probably an earlier building and the name indicates that a structure of some sort stood here and it is known there was a monastic cell.  It has extensions from succeeding centuries including a 15th tower. It is unusual in appearance in having a saddleback roof and brick-gabled tower.  It was ‘restored’ 1865-6 by George Gilbert Scott because, the vicar said that "the walls were green and dangerous, the floors were all in holes and uneven, and an extended or opened-out cheese box was used to keep out the draughts through the front door". It is in knapped flint with Totternhoe stone dressings, plus some Roman tiles and puddingstone. Inside there is fragmentary wall painting from the 15th and a Jacobean pulpit of carved oak from about 1606 when James I.  There is an oval memorial plaque to victims of the First and Second World Wars I the church
Churchyard. Roman pottery and other items have been found here.  There is a chest tomb from the 19th for members of Day family and some other important memorials including one second World War grave. There is a 20th lych gate.
1-6 Church End Cottages. These red brick houses are almshouses managed by Days Almshouse Charity. There is a plaque saying ‘These Houses were new built by Mr. Ralph Day of Sarratt Hall, Anno 1821' in the centre of the front.  There is also a Sun Fire Insurance marker and a post box. They replaced an earlier foundation of 1550 by J. Baldwin.
Baldwin Almshouses. These were founded by John Baldwin in 1700. They were pulled down and rebuilt in 1821.  Members of the Baldwin family had held Goldingtons Manor from the 1520s
The Cock Pub. This is an 18th building in whitewashed red brick.
Dawes Lane
Moor Cottage. 17th house with a timber frame plus some weatherboarding
Moor Lane
Cakebread Cottage. 17th with a timber frame but brick cased in 18th.
Watercress beds
New Road
Goldingtons Lodge. Original 19th lodge building
Goldingtons. Large 18th house with 16th origins.  Goldingtons is a pre-Conquest Manor reputedly given to St.Albans Abbey by King Offa and a Peter Goldington is recorded here in the 13th. The Abbey held it until the dissolution. There is now a ha ha round the area of the estate
Garden building 19th
Goldingtons Farm.  18th Barn with a timber frame on brick base and weather boarded. Other weatherboard farm buildings.
Strip lychets follow the line of the hill west of the manor and were in the area of Goldingtons Park.
Sarratt Mill House. The mill was a paper mill until from 1744-1871 and then a corn mill and was the property of the Duke of Bedford. The house is red brick built in the 18th, extended 19th and, altered 20th.

Sources
British History. Parishes, Sarratt. Web site
British Listed Buildings. Web site
Days Almshouse Charity. Web site
Hertfordshire Churches
Hertfordshire Genealogy News. Web site
London Transport. Country Walks
Mee. Hertfordshire
The Benefice of Holy Cross Sarratt and St.Pauls Chipperfield. Web site
Three Rivers Council. Web site
Whitelaw. Hidden Hertfordshire

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