St Laurence's Church, Bradford-on-Avon facts for kids
St Laurence's Church is a very old church located in Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire, England. It is special because it is one of the few churches from the Anglo-Saxon period in England that still looks much like it did when it was first built. Most other Anglo-Saxon churches have been changed or rebuilt over the centuries.
The church is named after Saint Laurence. Some old records suggest it might have been started by Saint Aldhelm around the year 700. However, the way the church is built makes many experts think it was actually built later, perhaps in the 900s or 1000s. St Laurence's Church is on a small hill, not far from a larger church called Holy Trinity, which was built by the Normans.
For many years, this historic building was not used as a church. It was actually used as a school and a house! The main part of the church (called the nave) was the school, and the area near the altar (called the chancel) was a small home. Both had more than one floor. In 1856, a local church leader named William Jones rediscovered it. The church was then carefully repaired between 1870 and 1880. In 1952, it was given a special status as a Grade I listed building, meaning it is very important and protected.
How Old Is It?
The exact age of St Laurence's Church has been a topic of much discussion among historians. Some experts, like H. M. Taylor, believed that the main walls were built as early as Aldhelm's time, around 700 AD.
However, most recent studies suggest a later date for most of the building. One idea is that it was built after the year 1001. This was when King Æthelred the Unready gave the land to a group of nuns from Shaftesbury Abbey. These nuns were refugees who had fled from Viking attacks. They were also taking care of the body of King Edward the Martyr, who was Æthelred's half-brother and was considered a saint.
It is thought that St Laurence's Church might have been built as a special chapel to hold King Edward's body for a while. This could explain why such a small but detailed building was created.
Unique Anglo-Saxon Design
St Laurence's Church is one of the most complete Anglo-Saxon buildings still standing from this time. It seems to follow a typical plan for monasteries of that era, but in a much smaller size. The church has special decorations, including parts of large stone carvings. These carvings give us a hint of how rich and beautiful monastic churches were back then.
Even though the church looks mostly Anglo-Saxon, it has been changed a few times over the years. For example, during its modern restoration, stairs inside were removed and some windows were filled in.
The church is quite small. The main part (the nave) is only about 7.5 meters (24.6 feet) long and a little over 4 meters (13.1 feet) wide. But what makes it stand out is how tall it is, reaching about 8 meters (26.2 feet) inside the nave. A small side room, called a porticus, used to be on the south side but is now gone. Other than that, the church looks much like it did in its final Anglo-Saxon form.
Special Stone Carvings
Inside the church, you can see two stone carvings of angels. They are flying sideways and are about half the size of a real person. These angels were likely placed on either side of a much larger carving of the Crucifixion, perhaps above the arch leading to the chancel.
The outside walls of the church have a special design with arches. These arches are not just carved into the stone. Instead, they are made by setting thick stone strips, called pilaster-strips, slightly forward from the wall. This creates a cool, raised pattern. This style is similar to other Anglo-Saxon churches in England, like St Andrew's Church in Great Dunham and the tower of St Mary's Church in Tasburgh, both in Norfolk. You can also see this style at All Saints' Church, Earls Barton in Northamptonshire and St Peter's Church, Barton-upon-Humber in Lincolnshire.
Images for kids
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St Laurence's Church, Bradford-on-Avon, seen from the south in 2005
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The porticus on the northern side of the church. (On the right is the Norman Holy Trinity Church, Bradford-on-Avon.)
