Parish Church Of St Lawrence

Parish Church of St Lawrence

This parish church at Bythorn and Keyston reuses 12th-century details within a structure built largely in the late 13th and 14th centuries. The late 13th-century work comprises the chancel, nave and north aisle. The south aisle and its arcade date to the early 14th century. The chancel was rebuilt around 1340 and widened at this time, as was the north aisle. The west tower and south porch also date to around 1340. A clerestory was added in the 15th century and a north chapel in the 16th century. The church underwent major restoration of the tower and spire in 1843, comprehensive restoration in 1870, further chancel restoration in 1874, tower repairs in 1907, and capping of the spire around 1960.

The walls are constructed of Weldon limestone rubble and field stones, with squared ashlar Weldon stone used for architectural details. The roofs are slate and lead.

The south elevation features a three-stage west tower rising from a moulded plinth with diagonal buttresses that extend above the belfry windows. A frieze band of quatrefoils set within circles runs around the tower, with a moulded cornice enriched with carved grotesque faces. The octagonal broached spire originally had three tiers of spire lights but is now capped. A rectangular projecting stair turret occupies the south-east corner. The clerestory contains four square-headed windows with trefoiled lights and an embattled parapet. The south aisle displays three restored windows with two trefoiled lights and quatrefoils set within two-centred heads, complete with moulded labels and mask stops. The south doorway, reset from the 13th century, has moulded imposts and a two-centred chamfered head with moulded label and defaced head stops. The restored south porch features a two-centred archway of two chamfered orders supported by semi-circular attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The chancel is of two bays with a steeply pitched roof and two restored two-light windows retaining 14th-century jambs.

Interior: The nave's north arcade is late 13th-century work, comprising four bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders and a moulded label toward the nave. The piers and responds alternate between circular and octagonal forms, each fitted with moulded caps and bases. The south arcade is early 14th-century, also of four bays with two-centred arches of two chamfered orders, a moulded label to the nave, and quatrefoil piers with moulded caps and bases. The western arch was probably rebuilt when the tower was constructed. The tower arch is two-centred with continuous moulded orders and a moulded label to the nave; the line of the former roof is visible above it. The chancel arch, restored around 1340, is two-centred with two chamfered orders, the outer continuous and the inner springing from semi-octagonal shafts with moulded capitals and chamfered bases; squints flank either side. The north chapel arcade is 16th-century work of two bays with two-centred arches of two orders, the outer hollow-chamfered and continuous, the inner springing from semi-circular shafts to a central pier and responds with moulded capitals and defaced bases.

A recess occupies the east wall of the chancel. A south-east window has been extended downward to form a seat. A 13th-century piscina has been resited, featuring hollow-chamfered jambs and a trefoiled head with cusping; the bowl carries an octofoiled drain. The font is 16th or 17th-century work with an octagonal bowl having chamfered upper and lower edges, a plain octagonal stem, and a chamfered base on a modern plinth. Sundials are positioned on the south wall buttress of the chancel and the south-west buttress of the tower.