IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Chapel Lane, TRING, HP23 4QT

A nearby information board reads – Originally two cottages: a thatched cottage probably built in the 16th/17th century and a slate roofed cottage of early Victorian origin. The earliest deeds known date back to 1759, when the thatched cottage was in the ownership of the Manor of Tring. Earlier records indicate that it was likely to have been a humble workman's home rented from the Lord of the Manor of Long Marston, Nathaniel Bromley. Ownership later passed to Lord Rothschild as Lord of the Manor. In 1894 it was sold to a Mr. E. F. Gregory. Thenceforth the cottage changed hands a number of times. In more recent years some of the owners have had a literary bias. Mary Grieve, an early editor of Woman's Magazine, lived here and a more recent owner was an editor at The Independent and later The Times.

The area around Image] is very peaceful. It effectively joins up with the garden of Old Church Cottage, part of which can be seen ahead in this image. See also Image] for a better view of the cottage itself.

There is a small churchyard by the ruined tower which is all that remains of the old All Saints Church. It was only used for burials for 34 years between 1832 and 1866. The visitor board by the entrance records that the small number of burials included a larger number of infants and young people than might be expected. No reason for this is given, but All Saints was only a chapel of ease and not the parish church. Could it be that in status conscious Victorian times children weren't important enough to get buried alongside the grown ups. Just a guess.

This C15th tower is all that remains of an ancient Chapel of Ease that dated back to the C12th which was demolished in 1883 as it was in a highly dangerous state of repair. It now stands in its peaceful churchyard between Image] to the east and Old Church Farm to its west. The tower is EH Grade II* listed - see https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1078012

This tower is all that remains of the old All Saints Chapel of Ease in Long Marston. It is set in a small churchyard. This old church was last used on 27th April 1882 when it was used for a wedding, it was considered so dangerous at the time that only the "contracting parties" were allowed into the chapel. It was demolished (all but the tower) a few months later.

On entering the little churchyard containing the old tower this is the first glimpse of it, framed by yew trees.

This supplementary close-up view of the ruinous old tower (see Image & Image). Whilst this shot shows the detail of the masonry it doesn't convey the tranquility of the place.

A signboard telling of the restoration of the old tower. There is some more information about the old tower here http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=43280#s5 (scroll down until you see drawing after the info. on Tring Church)

This little gateway is on land adjoining the Old Tower in Long Marston. It leads into a tiny fenced enclosure which is completely overgrown. It may have originally enclosed a family burial plot perhaps, but is outside the perimeter of the main churchyard. Another possibility is that it is an old animal pound perhaps. As I don't know, I'll categorize it as a curiosity.

Taken across gravestones in the churchyard of the church (actually an old Chapel of Ease) from which the cottage gets its name, this little cottage seems to grow out of the ground like something from nature rather than being man-made.