Church of St Laurence

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TL 57 SE 8/82

WICKEN CHURCH ROAD (South Side) Church of St. Laurence

(Formerly listed as Church of St. Lawrence)

19.8.59

GV II* Small parish church on edge of the village. Mainly C14, but the chancel is C13 and the clerestorey C15. Clunch and flint with Barnack dressings. Tiled roofs. West tower of three stages with embattled parapet, the corners with panelled pinnacles surmounted by pyramidal finials. Three stage buttressing and a newel staircase in south east corner. Nave with C15 clerestorey, each side having three windows of two trefoil lights. The south aisle has three C14 windows, all restored in C19, and a window at the east end which has the original clunch tracery. Three cinquefoil lights in a square head. South porch, also C14. Wheel cross above a later sundial at the gable end. Depressed outer arch, chamfered. The inner arch is two-centred and has a continuous roll moulding. Chancel, C13, but the south wall has been extensively repaired. Fenestration is C14, restored, except for one C13 lancet in north wall. The north doorway is C13, reset. Of two orders, the outer arch moulded and carried on engaged shafts. The inner order is chamfered.

Inside, the wall material is clunch. The tower arch, nave arcade, and chancel arch have similar C14 nave moulding in two-centred arches. The nave is in three bays and the arches are in two orders on octagonal columns with moulded capitals and bases. The roof is C15, probably the same date as the clerestorey, and in three bays. It is of collar rafter construction. The cambered tie beams are carried on wall-posts and mask corbels.

Monument: marble slab in chancel to Henry Cromwell, 1673, and Elizabeth, his wife, 1687 and Henry, his son, 1692. Brasses. Margaret Peyton, 1414 and John Peyton, 1520. Outside on east wall of south aisle, wall monument to William Drage, 1728. Three stalls in chancel with misericords carved on the underside, one with female head, and two with enriched scrolls. In vestry, coffin lid, with omega ornament, medieval.

Listing NGR: TL5772070584