Church of St Lawrence

Church of St Lawrence

This parish church in Waltham St Lawrence dates from the 11th century, with major expansions and alterations spanning over 700 years. The earliest structure comprises the original nave, followed by the addition of aisles in the 12th century. The chancel and its flanking aisles were added in the 13th century. The west tower was built in the early 14th century, and in the mid-14th century the south chancel aisle was extended with a gabled projection to form a chapel. The tower was heightened in the 16th century. The building underwent significant restoration in the 19th century: a south porch was added in 1847, the south wall of the south chapel was rebuilt in 1847, 1888, and again in 1906.

The fabric comprises chalk, limestone, Bath stone, flint and brick, mostly covered with roughcast (Ferricrete), with old tile gabled and coped tile roofs. The plan consists of a three-bay chancel, four-bay nave, north and south aisles, north and south chancel aisles (now chapels), a vestry on the north of the north chapel, a west tower, and a south porch.

Tower

The tower is constructed of flint with stone dressings. It rises in two stages with a chamfered plinth and a 19th-century brick toothed and embattled parapet. Two diagonal buttresses of two offsets rise at the west end to the bell chamber. An octagonal stair turret is located in the south-east angle. The west doorway is a 16th-century insertion with a four-centred head within a square containing moulding, with restored jambs. Above the doorway is a restored early 14th-century window with three trefoiled lights and cusped intersecting tracery. A 19th-century trefoiled light stands above this. The bell chamber features two four-centred lights in each wall; the two on the east are blocked and covered by a clock face.

Nave

On the south side of the nave are three 19th-century windows. Between the second and third windows is a pointed and moulded 14th-century doorway with a label mould. The porch to the left has a pointed entrance and diagonal buttresses at the angles; the roof trusses are 19th-century but are supported on 14th-century moulded corbels.

The north side of the nave features three windows, each of two trefoiled lights and a quatrefoil under a pointed head. The two easternmost windows are 14th-century (restored), whilst the western window is 19th-century. Between the second and third windows is a 13th-century doorway with a pointed head and continuous external chamfer, with a 19th-century hood mould. A 19th-century trefoiled light stands in the west wall.

Chancel

The south chapel has a large 19th-century window with a 19th-century pointed doorway to its left.

The east end features an east window with a pointed head and a 19th-century oculus above. The south chapel has two late 14th-century windows of two trefoiled lights with tracery under square heads. The north chapel has a late 14th-century window of three trefoiled lights and quatrefoiled spandrels under a square head.

Interior

The north arcade of the nave consists of four bays. The two pointed eastern arches are early 14th-century, rising from octagonal piers and responds with moulded caps and bases. The western arches are round of one square order with a similar pier and responds, and feature quirked and hollow chamfered abaci. The south arcade is similar except that the abaci of the third bay are scalloped.

An opening into the north chapel from the chancel is formed by a pointed arch springing from a semi-octagonal respond with moulded caps and bases. On the west side of this opening are traces of a blocked pointed rood doorway. In the south wall of the chancel is a pointed arch similar to that in the north wall. The chancel arch is pointed, with the outer order dying into the side walls and the inner order carried on 19th-century corbels.

On the south wall of the north chapel is a trefoiled piscina with a projecting basin. Between the chapel and the north aisle is a 14th-century flying arch of two orders.

The hexagonal pulpit is 19th-century in Jacobean style, with a panelled and enriched back supporting the sounding board that dates to the early 17th century and bears a shield with the date 1619 and the initials 'P.F.' The stone octagonal font is 15th-century and has traceried panelling.

Monuments and Monuments

An elaborate marble mural monument to Sir Henry Neville (died 1593) and his wife Elizabeth (died 1573) occupies the north wall of the north chapel. The upper part is divided into two panels by Corinthian columns which support an entablature.

In a niche in the west wall of the south aisle is a marble urn on a circular base, erected to the memory of Katherine (died 1658), daughter of Sir Anthony Thomas.

On the west wall of the north aisle is a small white marble oval tablet erected by Samuel Lewis of Jamaica in America in memory of his wife Dorothy (died 1687) and her sister Mrs. Margaret Massey (died 1681).

Stained Glass

The east window is by Wailes, circa 1847. The west window is by Kempe, 1877. One window in the north aisle is signed by M. Schneider of Regensburg, 1866.