Church Of St Laurence

Church of St Laurence

Parish church dating from the 12th century with significant additions and alterations in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, and 19th-century restoration work. The building is constructed of coursed limestone rubble with plain tiled and slate roofs.

The church comprises a western tower, nave, chancel and north chapel. The 12th-century tower has a single stage with plinth, string sill course and hipped slate roof. The 15th-century west window surround has a hood mould and one label stop, with 20th-century glazing, while above it is a 14th-century ogee-headed light. The north wall of the nave contains a blocked 14th-century pointed doorway with hacked-back hood mould. Further west are two 15th-century two-light windows with ogee-headed lights and panel tracery, hood moulds and human-head label stops. The north chapel's west wall features a 16th-century double-chamfered two-light window with mullion and hood mould. The chapel's east window dates to around 1800 and has 20th-century timber glazing with leaded lights and a flat arch with keystone. The 19th-century chancel west window has two lights with panel tracery. The chancel south wall contains two 15th-century two-light windows with 19th-century recut tracery. The nave south wall has two similar windows with ogee-headed lights. The 15th-century south door has two rolled orders separated by a quirk and a four-centred arched head with hood mould and human-head label stop.

Interior

The 14th-century tower arch has octagonal responds and capitals with a double-chamfered arch. Below the tower are four round-headed blank arches on each side extending to full height, the arch to the nave having billet moulding. The 15th-century chancel arch has two chamfers without capitals but with octagonal bases. The 19th-century nave roof is scissor-braced. Most fittings date from the 19th century, except for a 15th-century octagonal font with spurred base and upper panels decorated with heads, shields and foliage.

Monuments

The tower contains a 15th-century ledger slab with black lettering, reused as a floor stone. The chancel and north chapel house an important collection of monuments to the St Pol family.

In the chancel behind the altar stands a fine freestanding tomb chest with canopy for Sir Thomas St Pol, died 1588, and his wife. The sides of the tomb chest have acanthus pilasters with wreathed shields in the panels between. Full-length recumbent alabaster effigies show the man in full plate armour holding a sword and prayer book, his head resting on a helm with feet on a cushion bearing flowers. His wife wears a long dress with cloak and close-fitting hat, holding a bible. The inscription runs around the top edge of the chest. The canopy is supported on six pillars: those at the angles are circular and bulbous, while the others are in the form of obelisks decorated with fish-scale paterae and elaborate Ionic capitals with roses in the necking. The entablature has an egg-and-dart frieze. Above the column heads are five female weepers and one male weeper. At the centre of the canopy is a raised altar bearing shields and surmounted by the kneeling figure of the heir in armour, with a larger kneeling figure of a girl in front. The monument is painted and gilded throughout.

On the north wall of the chapel is an elaborate tomb to Sir George St Pol, died 1613, and his wife. A base supports the reclining figures of the deceased, with composite pillars supporting an entablature and armorial termination. The base contains a central semi-circular niche with a carved figure of the deceased's daughter, flanked by niches containing mourning putti. Above on the lower step is Frances in full mourning dress with formal ruff and hat, reclining on a cushion and holding a prayer book. On the upper step he reclines in plate armour with sword. The figures are contained in a semi-circular-headed recess with roses in the archivolt; the back wall has an inscribed rectangular panel with scrolls and memento mori. The side pillars support a frieze and entablature from which rise flaming urns; at the angles and centre is a raised achievement of arms flanked by scrolled shields and obelisks. This monument is also painted and gilded.

On the north wall of the chapel is an alabaster wall plaque to Robert Lord Rich, Earl of Warwick, died 1619, depicting a head-and-shoulders portrait sculpture in full face with a profile of his wife behind, set in a circular medallion. Pelleted pilasters to either side support an entablature with a scrolled cartouche of arms flanked by heraldic supporters. The whole is painted and gilded, with a panel beneath containing an inscribed poem.

On the east wall of the chapel and south wall of the chancel are two inscribed brass wall plaques, the latter dated 1597 and contained in a stone surround. Also present is a black marble ledge slab with armorial panel to George Doughty, died 1743.