Church Of St Lawrence

The Church of St. Lawrence is a parish church with a west tower, the lower parts dating to the mid-12th century, the rest largely from the 12th, 14th, and 15th centuries, and restored in 1803. It is constructed primarily of flint with ashlar dressings, and has pantiled roofs. The three-stage circular tower incorporates re-used ferruginous conglomerate and herringbone masonry. It has a renewed two-light Y tracery west window above a blocked lancet window, blocked arched ringing chamber windows with ferruginous jambs, arched and louvred belfry openings, and a plain parapet. Stepped buttresses are present on the nave and chancel. A south porch has a stepped gable, renewed in 1803, supported by diagonal buttresses, and features a hollow moulded entrance arch with a hood mould below a Perpendicular traceried statuary niche. There are two 14th-century three-light cusped lancet south nave windows, one early Perpendicular three-light chancel window over a priests' door, and a 19th-century three-light east window. A brick eaves cornice to the nave and chancel dates from the 1803 re-roofing. The priests’ door is double wave moulded. Gables are present on the chancel buttresses, with the eastern buttresses rising to form traceried plinths for now absent finials. The chancel east wall is of coursed knapped flint with a dado of cusped ogee arcading in flushwork, and has a 19th-century three-light east window. A 19th-century three-light window is located on the north chancel wall. A 14th-century two-light north nave mouchette window is to the east of a taller window that has been blocked with brick.

Inside, a tall pointed tower arch is double chamfered, and a double chamfered chancel arch sits on semi-circular responds. The nave and chancel roofs are of arched Gothic panelling, with fleuron decoration, imitating the roof in the hall of Beeston Hall. An octagonal 19th-century font is decorated with encircled quatrefoils and tracery motifs. Interlace arcading forms a dado on the north nave wall, dating to 1773. The chancel windows have filleted rolls to the jambs. Wall monuments are in the chancel, including one to Thomas Preston (1658) with a stone strapwork cartouche, bowed oval marble inscription panel, scrolled pediment, and achievement; one to Francis Preston (1623) constructed of alabaster and marble, with marble pilasters, an inscription panel, relief strapwork achievements, and fruit clusters; one to Isaac Preston (1708) signed by Rush of Norwich, with pilasters, a curved pediment, flaming torches, an urn, and a foliate apron featuring a cherub head; and one to Alice Preston (1743) by John Brine of London, with pilasters, a curved and broken pediment, an achievement, a drapery apron, and an urn. A stone cartouche in the nave commemorates the augmentation of St. Lawrence's rectory via Queen Anne's Bounty in 1741. Features include stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops.