of the North Street, through the North
Gate, and the North Door of the Church, which was boarded on purpose to
bring up the horses to the Altar." The church was restored in 1878; it
is of flint and rubble, and is now chiefly Perp. and Dec. with a few
older portions. Note (1) ambry and double piscina in the chancel; (2)
brass in N. transept to Robert Poydres (d. 1401); (3) brasses in
chancel, with effigies, to the Hughes family, one of whom, Alice, was
daughter of Thomas Bybsworth, "an ancient dweller in this parish"; she
died 1594. There is a tumulus about 1 mile S.
KELSHALL (21/2 miles S.E. from Ashwell Station, G.N.R.) has a restored,
but interesting church, dedicated to St. Faith, partly Perp. and partly
Dec. Over the S. porch is a small chamber, and in the N. aisle is a
recess, the nature of which is not quite understood, but it was probably
used for the safe-keeping of banner-staves, crosses and other
pre-Reformation ornaments. There is a brass with two effigies to
"Rychard Adane and Maryon his Wyff" (d. 1400 and 1435 respectively). In
the churchyard is an old sundial on the shaft of a stone cross. John
Janeway, a young divine of astonishing spirituality, whose _Life_, by
his brother James, was subsequently prefaced by Robert Hall, was buried
here in 1657: Richard Baxter was one of his admirers. The Manor of
_Chelesell_ was the property of the Abbot of Ely at the time of the
Conquest, having been given to that ancient foundation by the father of
Edward the Confessor.
_Kensworth_ was transferred to Bedfordshire in 1897.
KIMPTON (about 23/4 miles N. from Wheathampstead Station) lies between the
hills that lead N. to Whitwell and S.E. to Ayot St. Lawrence. The
village is very ancient, and was called _Kimeton_ in Saxon days. The
church, a little N. from the centre of the village, has been much
restored: the N. aisle was added in 1861; the tower and the N. porch
(over which is a parvise, as at Kelshall) were restored in 1887-8; the
chancel in 1890, when the reredos was added. The building is E.E. Note
the finely carved oak screen separating the S. aisle from the Dacre
Chapel, formerly the rood screen, the piscina in the chapel itself, and
the stained glass in the E. window to Thomas, twenty-second Baron Dacre
(d. 1890), to whom the reredos is also a memorial. _Kimpton Hoo_, in a
beautiful park of about 250 acres, is 1 mile N.E. from the village. It
is the seat of Viscount Hampden. Pretty walks may be taken E. _via_
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