Church Of St Lawrence

Church of St Lawrence

This is a parish church of 14th-century origin, substantially rebuilt in 1843 by the architect Hine. It is constructed of dressed coursed rubble and ashlar with slate roofs.

The building comprises a north-west tower with stair turret, nave, north aisle, south porch and chancel. Coped gables with single ridge crosses mark the west and east ends of the nave, east chancel and porch. The structure is buttressed throughout.

The west end features a single 19th-century three-light arched window with cusped tracery, hood mould and human head label stops, with above it a single 19th-century quatrefoil also with hood mould and decorative label stops. The north-west tower is set on a chamfered plinth, rises in two stages with a band, and carries a small spire with single lucarnes to the west, east and north. The tower's west wall has a single 19th-century arched light with cusped tracery, hood mould and human head label tops; the north wall has a single arched light. The bell chamber has in each side two arched openings, each with cusped tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. The north-east stair turret has two rectangular lights.

The north aisle is set on a chamfered plinth and has two arched two-light 19th-century windows, each with cusped tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. Its east wall has a single 19th-century arched two-light window with cusped tracery, hood mould and human head label stops.

The north chancel has an arched doorway with a small two-light arched window above featuring Y-tracery, hood mould and label stops. Evidence of an earlier north chapel arcade arch survives above. To the left of the buttress is evidence of a small blocked pointed arch. The east end has a single restored arched three-light window with intersecting tracery, hood mould and label stops. The south chancel has two restored two-light arched Y-traceried windows, each with hood mould and label stops. An inset plaque to Mary Oldacres dated 1821 is positioned to the right.

The south nave has two arched 19th-century three-light windows, each with tracery, hood mould and human head label stops; the tracery of the right-hand window is cusped. The gabled porch has a chamfered arched entrance with hood mould and human head label stops. Its side walls contain single windows each with two arched and cusped lights under a flat arch with hood mould and decorative label stops. The inner chamfered arched doorway features hood mould and human head label stops.

Interior

The nave arcade is renewed, comprising two bays of 14th-century character with double chamfered arches, broach stops, octagonal columns and responds with moulded capitals. A continuous hood mould with label stops runs along the nave side. Double chamfered nave and aisle tower arches and a double chamfered chancel arch with octagonal responds and moulded capitals complete the primary architecture. In the south chancel wall is an arched and cusped piscina. The north wall contains a single low 14th-century octagonal column with moulded capital, set into a recess. The north aisle includes a doorway to the stair turret and the remains of a pedestal piscina and circular font.

The furnishings include 17th-century altar rails with turned balusters; many benches incorporate 18th-century panelling. An 18th-century panelled pulpit survives. Remaining furniture is predominantly 19th-century, including an octagonal font with decorated quatrefoil panels. Some 17th and 18th-century floor slabs remain. The north aisle contains three early 14th-century damaged reclining effigies of the Heriz family: two of cross-legged knights and one of Lady Mathilda in wimple with head under an ogee arch decorated with crockets, further embellished with stiff leaf and more naturalistic foliage. A decorative ashlar memorial to those who died in the 1914-1918 war is mounted on the north aisle north wall, its inscription flanked by panels with decorative arches, each containing a single figure and biblical quotation in coloured glass. Remains of 14th-century stained glass are preserved in the north-east window of the north aisle. The north nave wall displays a hatchment; the south nave wall bears a board detailing "Donations to the Poor of Gonalston", dated 6 May 1828.