Church Of St Laurence

The Church of St Laurence is a Grade II* listed building located on Church Hill in Scalby. It dates from the late 12th century to the 13th century, with later alterations and additions, including a tower likely built in 1683 in a Gothic style. The church underwent significant restoration and extension in 1859. It is constructed from coursed, squared sandstone and features a stone flag roof.

The structure includes a west tower, a three-bay nave with a south aisle and south porch, and a two-bay chancel. The two-stage tower is adorned with battlements, diagonal buttresses, and an extruded staircase tower that reaches the parapet level. The tower has four-light bell openings and a window on the south side with semicircular heads, stone mullions, and incised decoration in the spandrels, along with semicircular hood-moulds and a string course at the main roof eaves level.

The north wall of the nave retains medieval masonry and features three reset two-light windows with cusped tracery and pierced quatrefoil heads, separated by stepped buttresses. The south wall and the south porch were rebuilt in the 19th century, including one three-light and one two-light window similar to those on the north wall. The north wall of the chancel is also of medieval masonry, while the south wall was rebuilt in the 19th century, featuring two lancet windows on each wall and a 19th-century three-light east window with intersecting tracery.

Inside, the nave arcade consists of circular piers with square abaci from the late 12th century. The eastern pier has a crudely carved water-leaf capital, and the arches were rebuilt in the 15th century. The chancel arch from the 13th century springs from triple responds, with the center respond being keeled and the grooved square abaci likely original. Notable fittings include a stone slab in the chancel with a floriated cross carved in low relief, believed to be from the 13th century, good 18th-century wall monuments on both sides of the chancel, and a medieval font. One tower window bears the inscription: '1683. Thomas -, Samewell -, Church wardens', which may refer to the addition of bell openings and windows in the existing tower.