Church Of St Lawrence

NORTH HINKSEY NORTH HINKSEY LANE SP4905 (West side) 11/70 Church of St. Lawrence 09/02/66 (Formerly listed as St. Lawrence's Church together with churchyard cross) GV II* Church. Early C12: early C13 tower, C13-C16 fenestration: chancel arch rebuilt by John Macduff Derick in 1800's. Uncoursed limestone rubble with ashlar dressings; gabled stone slate roof. Chancel and nave and west tower. C15 cinquefoil-headed east window: 2-bay chancel has early C16 four-light window and C13 pointed lancet above Norman lancet to south, and restored C14 trefoil-headed lancet and blocked C16 doorway to north. 2-bay nave: north wall has Norman lancets flanking Norman doorway with voussoirs and quoining partly intact: south wall has C15 three-light cinquefoil-headed window and unusual late C13 three-light window with lozenge tracery in triangular head, which flank C17 porch with chamfered oak frame and studded door: fine C12 south door with zig-zag carving to roll-moulded arch set over columns of single order with scalloped capitals. Interior: ancient triangular niche for piscina; late C17 communion table with C20 top; early C19 Gothic-style communion rail; C16 queen-post roof of 2 tiers with downward arch bracing from central stud to tie beam, and C20 replacement of collars, purlins, windbraces and rafters. Chancel arch and flanking arches built in Norman style by John Macduff Derick: previously a more simple Norman arch and squint. Nave: studded door to rood stairs, 2 early medieval aumbries, early C19 lectern and missal; C15 octagonal font has finely-carved Decorated blind tracery; C20 organ loft and pointed-chamfered arch at west end. Monuments: floor tablets in chancel to Elizabeth Fynmore, c.1715, and William Fynmore, d.1757. Early C18 wall tablet to William Finmere has heraldic cartouche and flanking swags set over bolection-moulded fielded inscription panel. Baroque wall tablet, probably by William Bird, to William Fynmore d.1646 and his son d.1673: heraldic achievement and putti rest on oval panel with richly-carved surround. Stained glass: 1930 memorial east window. Late C19 glass in 2 chancel windows and east window of nave: reset C15 fragments in west window. The unusual late C13 triangular-headed window is similar to those at Cumnor (q.v.), Stanton, John and Theale. (V.C.H.: Berkshire, Vol.IV, p.407; Buildings of England: Berkshire, p.186; Bodleian Library, M.S. Top, Berks, c.57, fol.119 and Def.a.119, Nos.16 and 17; National Monuments Record).

Listing NGR: SP4948305479