Building record 325/1/1 - Church of St. Lawrence

St Lawrence's Church was built in the 13th and 14th centuries with Perpendicular additions. The building is of coursed squared ironstone and limestone. The church consists of a chancel, nave and aisles, north porch and west tower.

Parish church. C13 and C14 with Perpendicular additions. Coursed squared ironstone and limestone. Chancel, nave and aisles, north porch, west tower. East chancel window is Perpendicular of 4 lights. North and south chancel windows, also Perpendicular, have 2 lights with transoms. All south aisle windows are late Perpendicular of 2- and 3- arched uncusped lights with square heads. North porch Victorian. North doorway Decorated, with continuous mouldings. North aisle has 2- and 3-light Decorated windows with flowing tracery and hoods with head stops. Clerestory, Perpendicular, has windows with 2 cusped ogee lights and square heads. Perpendicular west tower of 3 stages with castellated parapet. Interior: Chancel has C14 sedilia with 3 seats under a crocketed ogee canopies. Piscina of same date. Easter sepulchre with ogee arched recess. Flanking altar are 2 canopied niches with crocketed pinnacles. Stairs to former rood-loft between chancel and south aisle. South arcade C13 of four bays with round piers and moulded capitals and double hollow-chamfered arches. North arcade, Decorated, of 4 bays with 2 continuous chamfered orders. Nave roof C14-C15 with tracery in spandrels. South aisle roof late Perpendicular with rosette bosses. Font C14-C15 octagonal with blind tracery. Screen in tower arch dated 1610, partly made up from a reredos with panels inscribed with Creed and Lord's Prayer, has 4 half-columns ornamented with bosses and diamond studding. Elaborately carved entablature surmounted by scrolls and 4 figures. Screen in north aisle, Perpendicular. C18 wall tablets include memorial to Sir John Blencowe died 1726 signed by Edward Stanton and Horsnaile. Architectural tablet with urn and cartouche. William Walmesley died 1809 by R. Westmacott. Marble tablet with scroll pediment and Adam style decoration. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.302-3).

{7} Undated photo.

{8} [Former list description] Stone, lead roofs, W. tower of 3 stages with battlemented parapet. The church is mainly Decorated, the N. arcade and roofs are Perpendicular. The nave arcades have 4 bays and the E. end of the N. aisle is enclosed by a Perpendicular screen to form a chapel. The chancel has late Deocrated niches flanking the altar, sedilia and piscina on S. wall and a Deocrated tomb recess on the N. wall. Under the Tower arch is an elaborate early C.17 screen
with columns, entablature with carved figures over columns, and carved strapwork cresting, dated 1610.
The octagonal font is Perpendicular, each face of the bowl carved.
The monuments include a late C.17-early C.18 wall tablet to John Botry with draped surround, a cartouche of arms to John Botry with draped surround, a cartouche of arms at the head and two cherubs at the base. This is in the chapel in the N. aisle. The monuments in the chancel, mostly to the Blencowe family, include a fine one by Stanton and Horsnaile to Sir John Blencowe who died 1726, Corinthian columns, entablature broken forward over columns, cartouche of arms building up to an urn with swags, apron at base and the columns stand on carved brackets. A late
C.18-early C.19 Blencowe monument is by Westmacott. The churchyard contains good C.18 headstones.
The church has good Deocrated windows, that at the W. end of the N. aisle with curvilinear tracery.

{11} Painting of the church;

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 7/143 (checked) (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F02 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN45262.

<3> 1955, OS 6 INCH MAP, (unchecked) (Map). SNN9801.

<4> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP54SW11 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<6> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.302 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<7> Photographs of buildings in Marston St Lawrence (Photographs). SNN112800.

<8> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR) Dististrict of Brackley Rural District, September 1960 (Report). SNN112993.

<9> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of South Northamptonshire, 22/05/1985 (Report). SNN112993.

<10> Historic England, Undated, St Lawrence's Church, Marston St Lawrence, BF107369 (Archive). SNN115546.

<11> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/182/3 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 9:14AM