Church of St Andrew, Watford

Built in 1853-7 by S S Teulon. South aisle 1865, North aisle 1871. Flint and stone Decorated Gothic church with North East tower, nave with gabled aisles and chancel with organ loft. and vestry. Plain tile roofs, fish-scale banded. 81' North East tower with paired traceried bell openings, angle-pinnacles and recessed octagonal
lead cap. Five bay nave, 3 bay chancel with 2 elaborately carved windows each side.

Five light East window. East end vestries and organ. South aisle with South West porch, transeptal gable, South East porch and at East end narrow lancet with, above, window of 3 grouped trefoils in moulded surround. Diagonal buttresses. Open timber roofs, arch braces on corbels. Octagonal and round piers, naturalistic foliage carving to caps of 2 Eastern piers and chancel arch. North aisle blocked off and modern ceiling. East end arcading and carved stone 'Last Supper' reredos.
East window stained glass 1866 by Hughes, good stained glass in South aisle, South East window circa 1865 richly coloured, South West window with 9 Flemish C17 style roundels.

Building News 1857 931

St. Andrew’s owes its location to the railway. A line was opened in 1837, and it was decided that a church was needed to serve the new population that this had created. Work began in 1853 and St Andrew’s became the first Anglican church to be built in Watford since the Reformation.

In 1979 the north aisle was remodelled to provide a church hall and other facilities. A new foyer and accessible toilet were added in 2007.

The tower clock was presented in 1883, and also a peal of hemispherical chimes. In its prime the clock was so well-known for its accuracy that express train drivers were reputed to set their watches by it.

The church has a fine three-manual organ, still in original condition, made by Brindley and Foster which was installed in 1883.

Most of the stained glass is Victorian, but the oldest windows, which came from a collection in Kensington, are nine Flemish medallions dating from around 1640. The strawberry design of their borders resembles a sample in the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Listed by English Heritage as Grade II