Church Of St Laurence And St James

Parish Church of St Laurence and St James

This parish church combines medieval fabric with substantial 19th-century reconstruction. The original church dated to the 12th, 14th and 15th centuries, but was comprehensively rebuilt in 1868 by G E Street. Street retained the original nave and chancel, converting them into the new south aisle and chapel, while adding a large new nave, north aisle, chancel and north vestry.

The building is constructed in rubble stone with quoins to the south aisle and ashlar elsewhere. Steeply pitched plain tile roofs with lapped stone coped gables and ridge crosses cover most of the structure, except the south chapel which has a flat roof.

The western steeple forms a three-stage 15th-century tower with a stepped angle buttress rising halfway up its height and a deep moulded plinth. The west elevation displays chamfered slit windows to the first two stages and similar smaller stair windows on the south face. The third stage contains two-light flat-headed louvred bell openings with cusped mouchettes above cusped lights on all sides. A moulded stringcourse with central gargoyles runs beneath embattled parapets and a recessed octagonal stone spire.

The north gable of the nave features a small pointed central doorcase with hoodmould and a large five-light window above. This window has reticulated tracery with two major mullions to the sides and a relieving arch overhead. Slightly recessed to the west within the north aisle stands a similar five-light window with stepped cusped lights. The north elevation of the aisle contains three two-light flat-headed windows matching the bell opening style, with a pointed blocked chamfered doorcase between the two western windows. To the east, a buttress marks the aisle's end, beyond which sits a small two-light window in the same manner. The east window of the aisle mirrors its western counterpart; below it is a later addition comprising a four-centred arched doorcase facing north and one three-light window with two single-light windows facing east, each with semi-circular cusped-headed lights set in flat-headed surrounds. Plain parapets with ridgeback coping run above.

The south side features the advanced gable of the chancel with short angle buttresses flanking a five-light pointed window with elongated cusped lights and two major mullions at the centre. The south chapel has a cambered-headed three-light east window with cusped lights in a deep chamfered surround, flanked by angle buttresses. Above, in the gable of the south aisle, sits a 19th-century rose window. The south elevation of the chapel displays one two-light flat-headed window with cusped mouchettes above cusped lights, along with numerous scattered pieces of 12th-century carved stonework. The south aisle elevation contains one two-light panel tracery window to the east with a returned hoodmould and block-like labelstops, and a chamfered 19th-century single-light window with semi-circular head to the west. Beyond to the west stands the porch, which features a plain chamfered pointed outer door and a splendid 12th-century semi-circular-headed inner door. This inner door has an inner moulding of beakheads, a central moulding of linked roundels and an outer billet moulding. Volute capitals to the inner nookshafts remain, though others are missing. Beyond the porch lies a flat-headed two-light window similar to that to the east, with a returned hoodmould and carved labelstops.

The interior contains four-bay north and south arcades with double-chamfered pointed arches on columns with moulded capitals and bases. A moulded pointed chancel arch with soffit moulding on corbels and a small 15th-century moulded pointed tower arch with soffit mould, also on corbels, are present. The original chancel arch, now positioned in the south aisle, is a 12th-century semi-circular-headed arch with impost band and hood. The nave and aisle roofs feature plain collared trusses, while the chancel retains a painted pointed timber barrel vault. The chancel contains a two-bay arcade opening to the south chapel with deep double-chamfered arches on pairs of octagonal columns. Opposite stands a wide four-centred arched organ bay, with a four-centred arched door to the vestry beyond it. To the south side, beyond the arcade to the east, sits a simple stone double sedilla and piscina. The north aisle has a large moulded pointed arch at its east end, filled by a 1905 panelled screen with an organ above. The screen features Art Nouveau doors with elaborate hinges decorated with enamelled plaques. Carved oak choir stalls, altar and altar rails are dated 1936. The timber pulpit dates to circa 1949, and the nave contains very plain 19th-century pews. A 19th-century stone font has a moulded circular stem and bowl with cusped blind panelling, along with a wooden cover. The south aisle contains a small segment-headed piscina on the south wall and, to the north side of the chapel arch, a painted stone plaque inscribed "Henry Howit John Baret Chur: warden 1696 and Edward Carter Cleark 55 YE".

Memorials are predominantly mid-19th century and later. The south aisle houses two enamelled brass plaques of circa 1870 and circa 1876, one slate plaque of circa 1890, one slate and white marble memorial of circa 1850 and one marble and mosaic memorial of circa 1912. The west wall of the south aisle displays a very blackened hatchment. The chancel contains three small brass memorials, and the south chapel holds one slate and white marble wall memorial to Philip Tallents, who died in 1843. The north aisle has one marble plaque of circa 1915 and a brass war memorial. Late 19th-century stained glass appears in the chancel east window, chancel north window and three north aisle windows. The south chapel contains stained glass of circa 1950 in the east and south windows, while the south aisle features one stained glass window of similar date. Another window in the south aisle has stained glass of circa 1910, and the rose window above the south chapel arch contains coloured glass of circa 1869.