Driving home half a mile north of Hertford, we enter Waterford village. We’ve decided to take this route home to have a look at the church of St Michael and All Angels built in 1871 and designed by architect Henry Woodyer in the Gothic revival style. It contains many stained glass windows by William Morris and Burne-Jones among other exponents from the Arts and Crafts movement.

We walk into the churchyard and up to the wooden porch. The door is already open and I’m immediately struck by the stained glass window facing the entrance. A Pre-Raphaelite St Cecilia is depicted in greens, purples and scarlet against a symphony of blue swirling foliage.

I turn the corner to face the front of the church, treading the red carpet and passing by the wooden pews, I almost feel as if I’m intruding on a private royal chapel. As I look around at the peaceful glowing interior of this tiny treasure house, the richness of the luminous mosaics shines into the dark evening and leaves me staring in wonderment.

The 1901 reredos depicts saints along with singing and dancing angels in mosaic, set between marble columns. The central window above shows the nativity scene by Burne-Jones and is surrounded by William Morris's depiction of angels playing instruments.

Facing the altar on either side of the central window, the walls glow with azure mosaic tiles and two stunning gilded angels spreading their wings with the words Rejoice and Awake above each. The use of swirling foliage and grapes on the vine gives a visual celebration of the Christian Eucharist.

Leaves, flowers and fruit evoking the Garden of Eden interlace almost every part of this decorated church, providing a backdrop to many angels and saints. The Annunciation window by William Morris shows the Archangel Gabriel with two trees ripe with orange pomegranates and roses; every tree is in fruit and every plant is flowering.

The greens and ultramarines in the Supper at Emmaus window catch my attention as we see Christ’s profile. The phoenix above representing Christ’s resurrection is designed using Strachan glass in deep greens and ultramarine blues.

Among my favourite features are the quatrefoil windows, each containing a descending dove representing the Holy Spirit, surrounded by dark luminous colours giving a mystical sense.

William Morris has become one of the greatest European pattern designers since the Middle Ages and was self-taught in thirteen different crafts, including some ancient ones that had died out. This unusual church is an amazing example and celebration of the Arts and Crafts movement and it has been an inspiring experience.

- Marisa Laycock moved from South West London to St Albans in 2000. She enjoys sharing her experiences of living in St Albans.