Description

SO 9324 NW SWINDON SWINDON VILLAGE

15/134 Church of St Lawrence

4.7.60

GV II*

Anglican parish church. C12, largely rebuilt in neo-Norman style,
c1845 by T. Fulljames. Ashlar with a stone slate roof and single
ashlar stack. Plan; nave with north and south aisles. Chancel
with vestry on the north. Hexagonal west tower. Buttressed
north aisle with three C19 two-light pointed windows with tracery
and hoods with head stops. Scroll-moulded continuous string
beneath the windows. Single similar window in the west end. C19
plank door within a moulded basket-headed surround to vestry at the
east end of the north aisle. Pointed C19 window in the east wall.
Chancel with C19 set back buttresses at the east end and the
remains of a C12 pilaster buttress on the north (now covered or
destroyed by the addition of the vestry). Blocked narrow C12
round-headed window to the left and the remains of a flat-chamfered
band to the left of the latter. The chancel north wall is now lit
by a single lancet window and the upper part of another lancet (the
lower half being obscured by the C19 vestry). Three-light C19
east window with a stopped hood. Two-light C13 pointed window
with small quatrefoil at the top to south wall, similar window at
the east end of the south aisle. Set-back and side buttresses to
the south aisle. South wall rebuilt C19 with a central C19 door
within a moulded pointed surround with a hood with head stops
flanked by two C19-pointed 2-light windows. Three-stage west
tower in the form of an irregular hexagon, largely rebuilt c1845,
with 2-light C12 belfry openings divided by round columns with
cushion capitals set in splayed round-headed recesses. Single
round-headed window in the west face with part of a reused grave
slab decorated with an incised cross forming the lintel. Two-
light pointed window to ground floor with cinquefoil-headed lights
and a hood with foliate stops. C19 octagonal stair turret at
south-east corner with a narrow panelled C19 door within a basket-
headed surround with decorative mouldings at top, and small round-
headed stair-lights and pointed stone roof with animal and human
head corbels at eaves. C19 plank door with decorative hinges
within a wooden basket-headed surround set within a high C12 round-
headed arch with C12 engaged columns with scalloped capitals and
flat-chamfered imposts. This archway is set back within a C19
stone-built porch entered via a round-headed archway with chevron
decoration rising from composite engaged columns. Stepped coping
at gable ends with the remains of upright cross finials.
Interior; neo-Norman with 3-bay nave arcades with composite piers
with scalloped capitals and round-headed arches with hoods and C19
head stops on both sides of the arcades. C19 neo-Norman chancel
arch of 2 orders with engaged columns, hood with large pellet
decoration. Mutilated C12 remains of a tall C12 arch with engaged
columns from nave to aisle. Three-bay nave with C19 hammer beam
roof trusses, rising from C19 corbels with pendants. Soffits of
trusses and wallplate with nailhead decoration. Scissor-braced
trusses to aisles also with nailhead decoration. Two-bay chancel
with braced collar beam trusses with corbels in the form of kings'
and queens' heads. Nailhead decoration to collar beam and
purlins. Flagged floor to nave and chancel. C14 trefoil-headed
piscina in south wall of chancel. Five early carved stone heads
(probably originally corbels) in the south aisle, two set in the
east wall, the others now freestanding in window sills. Octagonal
C15 limestone font at base of tower. C19 pews and choir stalls.
Octagonal stone font. Two fine C18 carved oak chairs. C19
wrought iron and brass communion rails. Monuments; three white
on grey marble monuments at base of tower, two C19, one to Mary
Surman died 1772 and William Surman died 1791. Classical style
monument to William Long, died 1786, with crest and urns at top, on
west wall of north aisle. White marble monument to William Long,
died 1815 with a triangular pediment to right. Monument to John
Sturmy, died 1769 with a segmental-headed pediment and winged
cherub's head at bottom on the north wall. Limestone monument to
John Stratford, died 1776 with festoons in either side of the
incription and urn at top highlighted in gold and black on the east
wall. White on black marble monument to Sarah Elliot, died 1838
in chancel by Lewis of Cheltenham. Two white on grey marble
monuments to members of the Rickett and Cornwallis family on the
west wall of the south aisle. One by Lewis of Cheltenham.
Ledger to Thomas Packer Surman, died 1765 and Mary Surman, died
1780 in floor of south aisle. C19 stained glass. East window by
T. Willement 1843. The tower comprises the main feature of
interest. There is only one other six-sided tower in the country,
that at Ozleworth near Dursley, Glos.
(David Verey, The Buildings of England, The Vale and the Forest of
Dean, 1980 and The Gentleman's Magazine, July 1843 XX 21-2)

Listing NGR: SO9346324886

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17535318

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 2: The Vale and The Forest of Dean: Vale and Forest of Dean Pt. 2 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)