Church Of St Lawrence

Church of St Lawrence

This church, located on Church Lane in Shotteswell, originates from the 12th century, with significant additions and modifications spanning several centuries. The building was substantially restored in 1875.

The church is constructed of ironstone ashlar, with the chancel built of regular coursed ironstone. It features moulded cornices and low pitched lead roofs with gable parapets. The plan comprises an aisled nave, chancel, north vestry, north porch and west tower. The chancel is 2 bays; the nave is 3 bays.

The chancel has a splayed plinth with diagonal buttresses. The 19th-century three-light east window contains intersecting tracery. Windows on the north and south sides include late 14th-century straight-headed eastern windows of 2 trefoiled lights with pierced spandrels and hood moulds. The south side also has a similar earlier 14th-century western window without a hood mould, which incorporates a former low-side window.

The nave features a clerestory, much restored in grey stone, consisting of 3 square-headed windows of 2 trefoiled ogee lights with hood moulds.

The north porch has low angle buttresses and an archway of 2 chamfered orders dying into splayed jambs. Inside are stone benches. The plank north door sits within an arch of 2 ovolo-moulded orders, with a hood mould and head stops.

The north aisle contains 2 late 14th-century three-light windows, restored in the 17th century. The eastern window has Decorated tracery with mouchettes in a segmental-pointed arch. The central window is square-headed with trefoiled round-arched lights, a hood mould and head stops. The western window is square-headed with 2 trefoiled lights.

The south aisle has a Decorated 2-light east window with hood mould and block stops. A square-headed eastern window contains 3 trefoiled round-arched lights with moulded spandrels and a hood mould. The western window has 2 arched lights with a pierced spandrel.

The tower comprises 2 stages with a splayed plinth and chamfered string course. North west and south west angle buttresses support the first stage. A square south east turret rises below the parapet. A 19th-century arched west door and a west lancet are present. Bell openings on the north, east and west sides contain 2 lancets with an arched hood mould; the west side has a blank circle. The parapet is plain with a string course and cornice. The octagonal spire features lucarnes.

Interior

The chancel contains a 14th-century piscina with a trefoiled ogee head. A 19th-century three-bay Gothic king post roof with cusped arches spans the space. The narrow 13th-century chancel arch consists of 2 chamfered orders with moulded abaci and a plain hood mould.

The nave features a 3-bay 12th-century north arcade with low round pillars and responds, and scalloped square capitals. The east and west responds have 14th-century heads. A late 13th-century arcade of 3 wider bays comprises 2 chamfered orders with hood moulds, round pillars and moulded capitals. The tower arch has 3 chamfered orders, the inner resting on tapering corbels with 13th-century heads. A 4-bay roof of 1902–03 has cambered tie beams.

The north aisle has an ogee west doorway with a hood mould and finial. A 17th-century lean-to roof features chamfered cross beams. The south aisle contains a 14th-century piscina with a trefoiled ogee head. The east wall has moulded brackets at varying heights. A roof of 1902–03, similar to the north aisle, covers this space.

Fittings

The north aisle contains stone benches along the north and west walls and across the aisle, with a central gap. A 6-bay 14th-century oak screen of trefoiled tracery on cross benches has 19th-century balusters and top rail. A 19th-century screen of similar design spans the first bay of the arcade.

The font has a deep round bowl on a short stem with 4 shafts, 2 of which are round reel possibly from the 11th or 12th century. A polygonal pulpit of 6 panels displays elaborate 15th-century cinqfoiled tracery with angle buttresses, together with some 19th-century work. The reredos comprises various 17th-century Flemish oak carvings. Communion rails feature 18th-century twisted balusters.

Benches include early 16th-century traceried panels with buttresses, alongside others assembled from panels similar to the pulpit and dating from the 18th century. Chancel stalls have 18th-century fielded panel backs. A late 13th-century hutch chest is present. A mid-17th-century carved altar table stands in the south aisle. A 17th-century striking clock without a dial is also recorded.

The south aisle east window contains 14 fragments of stained glass.