Church Of St Laurence

Church of St Laurence

A parish church of substantial medieval date, with significant later additions and restorations. The building dates from the 11th or early 12th century, with a north aisle and chancel added around 1180–1195. A late 12th or early 13th century tower was built, followed by the addition of a south aisle and eastward extension of the nave by one bay between 1225 and 1250. A 14th century porch was added, and the 15th century saw the addition of a belfry stage to the tower. Major works were undertaken in 1846–1847 by the architect I. Bonomi with J.A. Cory, when the aisles were rebuilt, the nave extended eastwards, and the chancel and porch reconstructed. Further restoration followed: chancel aisles were added in 1897–1899 by W.S. Hicks, and in 1905 the chancel was lengthened and raised.

The exterior is of coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings and plinth, roofed in Welsh slate with stone gable copings. The building comprises an aisled nave of six bays with a west tower and south porch, a three-bay chancel with a two-bay north aisle vestry and one-bay south aisle.

The gabled porch features old boarded double doors with wrought iron hinges set in a moulded two-centred arched surround beneath a dripmould. A sundial is positioned in the gable peak, with diagonal buttresses flanking the porch. The south aisle has a sill string to two-centred arched windows with varied tracery, set under dripstrings. The north aisle contains one similar two-centred arched window at its east end and four round-headed windows in roll-moulded surrounds under a dripstring. A comparable round-headed window lights the chancel south aisle. The chancel, which is set back, has lancet windows: paired on the south elevation and a stepped group of three on the east; the north side has two lancets and two ogee-headed lights in small square windows flanking the vestry door.

The tower displays a long west lancet under a dripmould and a small lancet in its set-back second stage, above which is a clock. The set-back belfry contains paired cusped lights deeply recessed in round-headed openings beneath an embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. A canted north stair turret has three rectangular lights. The tower has massive irregular clasping buttresses, one said to date from the 17th century; changes in the south elevation suggest an earlier tower of different proportions. Offset buttresses mark the ends of the aisles and the extent of older parts; one buttress on the south at the east of the third bay has a semicircular sundial above it, said to be from the earlier church. The chancel is flanked by clasping buttresses.

Internally, the nave walls are plastered and retain some wall paintings. The aisles and chancel are of rubble with ashlar dressings. The nave roof dates to the 19th century and features stone-corbelled arch-braced tie beams. The chancel roof is panelled, and the tower contains massive first-floor beams.

The early nave has a north arcade of four bays featuring zig-zag-moulded segmental arches with plain square inner arches, supported on an octagonal central pier and responds with round intermediate piers. The octagonal piers and responds have deeply-cut corner roll moulding; the round piers bear high-relief roll-moulded spiral decoration reminiscent of the incised decoration in Durham Cathedral. Capitals are of scallop and water-leaf form; the central pier's capital is also decorated with beading. The east respond in the fourth bay contains a small cusped niche on its south-west face. The two eastern arches date to 1846 and replicate the earlier style. The south arcade has chamfered two-centred arches on round piers with moulded capitals and bases, set under a head-stopped dripstring. The sixth arch from the west was reset from the fifth bay of the north arcade. A blocked early door, now at high level in the west wall on the north side, is evidence of earlier arrangements.

Above the north arcade are two small, deeply-splayed round-headed windows. The western window contains 12th century paintings in its splay depicting the consecration of St Cuthbert by Archbishop Theodore and his vision at the table of Abbess Aelflede. Two similar windows appear in the south wall; all four intersect the arcades irregularly and are unrelated to them. Their external faces, now concealed within the aisles, show slight chamfers, monolithic heads, and irregularly-jointed jambs.

An irregular elliptical tower arch rests on keeled responds. A transverse arch at the east end of the north aisle supports crocket capitals transferred in 1846 from a demolished north chancel chapel. A high two-centred chancel arch was rebuilt in 1846. Arcaded east windows have ringed shafts. A trefoil-headed piscina of 13th century date is present.

The chancel floor contains three fine-grained dark grey stone monuments. The northern, large slab bears a carved coat of arms and well-cut Latin inscription to Sir Thomas Hall of Elemore Hall (died 1680), his wife and daughter. A plainer central slab commemorates George Baker of Elemore Hall (died 1774). To the south is a high-quality carved coat of arms and Latin inscription to Sir Ralph Shipperdson (died 1719). The east end of the chancel contains further 19th century memorials to members of the Pemberton, Shipperdson and Baker families. In the north aisle stands a knight's effigy of around 1280. The south aisle contains a tapered Frosterly 'marble' block with re-cut Latin inscription to one named Christ. Several medieval grave covers and carved fragments are positioned at the west end of the north aisle. The tower contains a plain bowl font on a restored pedestal, said to have been sold in the early 19th century and recovered from Broomside farm in 1885. A 17th century font cover in 'Cosin' style is present. A chancel screen of 1893 was designed by W.S. Hicks.