The south transept area behind the organ contains some handsome 19th century neoclassical wall monuments to members of the Walker family. Most striking, however, is the large 18th century marble monument to Elizabeth Cradock of Ashlyns, a member of the Wethered family of Ashlyns, who died in 1703 (not 1704 as inscribed on her monument – no doubt the mistake of the mason carving the memorial in 1704). The inscription eulogises her charitable nature and her “unshaken fidelity to the crown”, which may refer to the Wethered family’s historic Royalist connections – Her father Francis Wethered was Comptroller of the King’s Works to Charles II following the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660. The presence of a carved skull on this monument looks frightening to modern eyes, but it was a common device in past centuries to remind viewers of their own mortality. The skull is crowed with laurels, a Classical symbol of victory, perhaps representing victory over death.
The roof here was raised by several feet during Butterfield’s 1870 restoration, although the corbels which supported the old roof can still be seen.
The oak porch, installed in 2012, was a gift to this church by the late John Cook, a former mayor of Berkhamsted, and is inscribed with the cross keys emblem of St Peter.
