Church of St. Laurence

SU 97 NE 4/10

SLOUGH Upton Court Road (south side) Church of St. Laurence

29.9.50

GV I

Church. Early C12 tower, rest of late C12, restoration and additions of south aisle and vestry in 1850-1 by Benjamin Ferrey, tower altered in 1906; and vestry added in 1910. Uncoursed rubblestone and pudding stone (Ferricrete) with Chalk and Bath stone ashlar dressings. Old tile roofs, separately over nave and aisle, and timber bellcote at east end of aisle with hipped roof and cross. Nave, south aisle, central tower, chancel and south vestry.

Tower: two stages with cornice and coped parapet to low pyramidal cap with weathervane. Small rectangular louvred bellstage openings to north and south, small rectangular first stage windows to north.

Nave: north side: four round arched windows and two-light C15 window to left; blocked round arched window between second and third windows from left and evidence of blocked or reset doorway beneath. Round arched doorway between third and fourth windows from left with chevron decoration, one order of shafts, nook shafts, and boarded door.

West front: two three-light windows with returned hoodmoulds, and round arched window in gable end above.

South aisle: south side: three round arched windows and two-light window to right with returned hoodmould. Round arched doorway between first and second windows from left with boarded door, three orders of shafts with cushion capitals, and heavy gabled stone surround with circular window in apex.

East end: two-light window with quadrefoil in plate tracery above.

West end: two lancets with circular window in gable end above.

Chancel: two bays with strip buttresses. Two round arched windows to north and south; two round arched east windows with blocked circular window above and round arched window in apex.

Vestry: four round arched windows to east and boarded door to south.

Interior: five bay C15 chamfered crown post nave roof; four bay C19 south aisle arcade with circular piers and pointed arches; round tower arches with scalloped imposts; two bay stone vaulted chancel with scalloped capitals and painted ribs.

Fittings include: C12 circular stone font with blind arcading; C19 octagonal stone font; coat of arms on south wall; reset C15 wooden archway at east end of south aisle with shafts, cusping and dogtooth ornament; C15 alabaster Trinity in south wall of tower.

Monuments include: early C16 brass of Knight with two wives, brass to E. Bulstrade and wife of 1599, and Grecian tablet of 1822 by J. Theakston to Sir William Hershel, the astronomer. George Fordham, the champion jockey who died in 1887 at the age of 50 having ridden 2,500 winners, is buried in the churchyard. This is reputed to be the church where Grey wrote his Elegy.

Listing NGR: SU9807179093