Clothall, St Mary the Virgin

The Church

The peaceful parish church of St Mary's was built around 1350–70 on the foundations of the older C12th nave.

The south doorway is C14th and retains the original plank door with nails from past church notices and the name of its maker (John Warren) painted on the back.

The glass in the east window is the glory of the church. It is thought there are only two other windows like this in England, possibly by the same craftsman. It consists of six late C14th medallions including one depicting Mary Magdalene. The others are Christ and the four Evangelists. The medallions are surrounded by diamond panes depicting birds of the English countryside, as well as more exotic species.

The author Thomas Stanley was born in Clothall in 1625 and is buried in the church.

There are some fine C17th memorial brasses on the chancel floor, covered in carpet for protection.

Our Work

The church shelters a large number of bats which have a significant impact on the church furnishings and fittings, with urine staining and droppings covering most surfaces. The Lady Chapel is particularly seriously impacted.

Bat surveys in summer 2021 revealed three different species of bats roosting inside St Mary's: common pipistrelles, brown long-eared bats and a Myotis sp. The Bat Management Plan proposed a boxed eave on the southern side of the Lady Chapel. This proposal is on hold as the church does not have sufficient funds.

The church hosted a successful bat night in August 2021.

In June 2022 the church took part in the National Bat Monitoring Programme roost count with an expert volunteer from the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Bat Group.

Clothall Case Study Poster

Clothall Bat Management Plan

Upcoming events

If you’d like to contact or find out more about the church, visit their page on A Church Near You