Church Of St Lawrence

Church of St Lawrence, Canon Pyon

Parish church dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, with restorations undertaken in 1865, 1870, 1897 and around 1922. Built in sandstone rubble and ashlar with tiled roofs, the church comprises a four-bay aisled nave with a south tower and a two-bay chancel with north chapel.

The tower incorporates a porch and dates from the 14th century. It has four diminishing stages with early 20th-century embattled parapets and a weathercock. Diagonal weathered buttresses to the south-west and south-east rise to the bottom of the top stage, with angle buttresses of the same height to the north-west and north-east. The top stage features a two-light ogeed and trefoiled opening with a quatrefoil in the spandrel on the south and east sides; the north and west sides have single trefoil and ogee-headed lights. The first stage has a central ogeed opening to the north and south sides, with a central loop to the west and another loop to the stairs. The plinth has two large roll mouldings stopped around the jambs of the outer moulded two-centred arch, which is double-chamfered. On the west elevation is a 15th-century nave window with a four-centred head, four trefoiled lights and small glazed spandrels. Beneath this is the west door with a two-centred moulded arch with label and head stops, flanked by a pair of weathered buttresses. The south aisle has a trefoil-headed single light, while the north aisle has three stepped trefoiled lights beneath a four-centred head, a gable cross, and to the left, a weathered buttress.

The north elevation has battered buttresses positioned left, right of centre and at the centre. To the right of centre is a round-headed chamfered single light, possibly 19th-century, with a single trefoil-head light to the left and further left a pair of similar lights with a square quatrefoil above. The east elevation of the north chapel has three stepped plain pointed lights in a two-centred head, above which is a small opening with a two-centred head, verge and gable cross. The chancel features three stepped trefoil-headed lights in a four-centred head, with a pair of weathered buttresses and the stump of a gable cross. The nave has 19th-century planking above the chancel roof. The south elevation of the chancel has a pair of two-light trefoiled windows with triangular glazed spandrels and a priest's doorway with a two-centred head and continuous moulding. The nave also has four square-headed clerestory lights, while the aisle has two single trefoil-headed lights; the eastern return has a window similar to those on the south side of the chancel.

The interior of the tower has moulded chamfers with run-outs to beams supporting the first stage. The inner doorway has a double-chamfered two-centred arch, with a ledged oak door, probably of late 19th or early 20th-century date. The roofs are mainly 19th-century with pine collar trusses to the chancel and nave. The south aisle has three massive chamfered strainer arches supporting leaning arcade piers. The north aisle retains a 15th-century open wagon roof with four tie beams and remains of corbels above the arcade. The wall plate on the north wall of the north chapel is moulded and enriched with ball flowers.

The chancel contains a 14th-century piscina with a restored trefoiled head and an octofoil drain on a female corbel-head. The communion table is oak, perhaps of early 17th-century date, with lamb's tongue chamfer stops to the legs, plain stretchers and a 20th-century top. A chamfered two-centred blocked doorway is present in the north wall. Early 18th-century oak communion rails feature turned balusters and square sections, with a two-leaved entry with the same detailing. Two low-set corbels sit opposite each other on the north and south walls. The choir stalls, probably 16th-century and reputedly from Wormsley Priory, comprise four-seater benches on each side with carved misericords and moulded arms, along with two 19th-century benches incorporating a single misericord and seat at the west end. The desks to the benches have carved 15th-century poppyheads. The north wall displays a wall-monument with portrait relief for Major H G Lush-Wilson, RHA, killed in 1916.

The double-chamfered arch separating the north chapel has stiff-leaf foliage to the eastern respond and an octagonal abacus to the western pier. The east window contains late 19th-century stained glass depicting Christ giving Benediction. The south-east window, depicting Christ after the Resurrection, commemorates DFB and Caroline Thomas, who died in 1870 and 1905 respectively. The south-west window shows the Good Shepherd and St John the Evangelist and was given by John Nash in 1906 "to the Glory of God and to remind the Vicar and Churchwardens that his and his wife's grave are kept in order". The chancel screen, probably 15th-century and thoroughly restored, is of oak with eight traceried panels on each side of the entry, vine-motifs and restored cresting. A similar screen divides the chancel from the north chapel.

The nave has 13th-century arcades; the north arcade features stiff-leaf foliage on the capitals with two-centred, double-chamfered arches and circular piers, while the south arcade has alternating octagonal and circular abaci with a label and head-stop. The pulpit is 19th-century oak and part octagonal. The lectern, dated 1920, was given for Reverend G F Bulmer. The south aisle has a two-centred double-chamfered doorway to the tower with a ledged medieval door showing later repairs.

The font has a circular moulded base and cylindrical stem with a band of 12th or 13th-century interlaced ornament. The bowl is 15th-century, octagonal with three sunk quatrefoils to each side. A slab against the west wall bears indents of two figures, while a slab against the south wall has crocketted canopies. Benches feature carved oak ends, perhaps of 16th or 17th-century date. A monument on the south wall to George Sawyer, who died in 1753, is signed "L F Roubiliac fecit" and comprises white marble with a draped urn on a cornice supported by two scrolls, an extremely subtly curved pedimented background and a convex apron with a paean stressing patience. The east window contains stained glass depicting Christ for Caroline Freeman, who died in 1867. The south-east window shows St Stephen for R H Percival, dated 1908. The west window depicting the Virgin and Child is for Kathleen Bulmer, dated 1925. The north aisle contains several wall plaques for members of the Jay family from the late 18th century onwards.

An organ by Norman and Beard, dated 1908, is installed in the church. The north chapel, restored in 1897, contains a piscina with a trefoiled head and quatrefoil drain. A wall-monument in black and white marble commemorates Paul Barryson, who died in 1766. The north-west window displays mid-20th-century stained glass depicting a storm by A J Davis of Bromsgrove, commemorating William and Percy Powell "who gave their lives at sea". An oak screen dividing the chapel from the north aisle, dated 1904, was made by Greenlands of Hereford. A heavy harmonium, probably around 1900 by Heins and Company, is housed here.

A wall-monument records the 17 men of the parish who died in the First World War. Beneath it is a roll of honour for the seven who died in the Second World War, the last entry being for a member of the Metropolitan Police killed on night duty on 3rd September 1939. Late 19th or early 20th-century brass hanging candlesticks, with pendant and three spurs for chains, complete the furnishings.