Church Of St Laurence

PRESTON-ON-WYE CP - SO 34 SE 4/53 Church of St Laurence 2.9.66 GV II*

Parish church. C12, partly rebuilt C13, extended C14, restored 1625 and 1883 by T Nicholson. Coursed sandstone with ashlar dressings and slate roof. West tower C14, nave C12, chancel C13 and north chapel C14. West tower of three stages with diagonal buttresses, moulded plinth and restored crenellated parapet. Belfry has window of two ogee trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil under a two-centred head. Ground floor west window is C15 of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery in a square head. Nave of three bays divided by stepped buttresses on south wall. To west end a window of two trefoiled lights under a two-centred head, then the south porch and to the eastern bay two windows, the first of two trefoiled lights under a two-centred head, the second a lancet. South porch is late C19 and timber-framed. The C12 south door has a semi-circular arch of two moulded orders, the inner continuous and the outer enriched with chevron ornament and springing from C19 detached shafts with C12 scalloped capitals. There is a moulded label. North wall has a semi-circular headed window to west and a window of two trefoiled lights under a two-centred head to the east. Between them the blocked north door with semi-circular head. The north chapel of mid-C14 has diagonal buttresses. The north window is of two ogee trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil under the two-centred head. The east window is C15 with two cinquefoiled lights under a square head. Chancel, C13, rebuilt 1883, south wall has two windows, to west of two cinquefoiled lights with tracery in the square head, that to east of two trefoiled lights under a two-centred head. Blocked priest's door of C13 with cusped two-centred arch. North wall has two windows, that to east a single trefoiled light, to west a lancet. Interior: the tower arch is segmental pointed of two chamfered orders, the inner dying into the responds. Two-centred arch to north chapel of two moulded orders, the inner springing from triple engaged shafts with moulded capitals. In north-east corner of nave the rood stair survives with square headed doors at each level. Roofs all C19, that of nave is the common rafter type, the chancel roof of four bays with arch-braced trusses. Fittings: C17 communion table used as an altar. C19 decorative wrought-iron altar rail. Nave pews include some C16 simple carved bench ends. (RCHM, Vol 1, pp 218-9; BoE, p 273).

Listing NGR: SO3837942446