St Nicholas is Harpenden’s parish church, standing at the top of the High Street on Church Green, beside the town’s War Memorial. It is a Church of England church in the Diocese of St Albans and is listed at Grade II*.
History
A chapel of ease was first built here in about 1217. Its tower was added in 1470, during a major enlargement, and still stands today. The rest of the medieval church was demolished in 1861 and rebuilt in 1862 to serve Harpenden’s growing population. The tower holds a ring of eight bells, the oldest dating from 1612.
Notable connections
The churchyard and church are linked with several well-known figures, including Sir John Bennet Lawes and Sir Joseph Henry Gilbert, founders of Rothamsted Research, the botanist Katherine Warington, and the comedian Eric Morecambe, whose ashes are at St Nicholas.
Church Green
The green in front of the church is home to Harpenden’s War Memorial, the focus of the Remembrance Sunday service and the Field of Remembrance each autumn.
