Church of St Lawrence, Stanton Prior facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St Lawrence
Location	Stanton Prior, Somerset, England
Built	12th century
Governing body	Church of St. Lawrence
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated	1 February 1954
Reference no.	1129527
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The Church of St Lawrence is an old Anglican church located in Stanton Prior, a village in Somerset, England. While some parts of the church date back to the 12th century, most of what you see today was built in the 15th century. This church is very special, so English Heritage has given it a Grade II* listed building status. This means it's an important historic building that needs to be protected.

What Makes the Church of St Lawrence Special?

The Church of St Lawrence has a tall tower with three main sections. This tower is supported by strong diagonal buttresses, which are like extra supports on the outside walls. In the north-east corner of the tower, there's a cool, round stair turret. This is a small tower with a spiral staircase inside.

A Big Change in 1860

In 1860, the church went through a major restoration. This means it was carefully repaired and updated. During this work, people discovered something interesting! They found that the nave (the main part of the church where people sit) and the chancel (the area near the altar) were actually the same height.

How Was This Hidden?

This equal height had been hidden for a long time. It was covered up when new windows were put in, the walls were made taller, and a special wooden roof was added. This all happened during a time called the Perpendicular Period, which was a style of building that used lots of straight lines and tall windows.

The Church Today

The Church of St Lawrence is still an active church. It is part of a group of churches that includes Farmborough, Marksbury, and Clutton with Cameley. It belongs to the larger church area called the archdeaconry of Bath.