St Laurence's Church, Ludlow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Laurence's Church, Ludlow |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Liberal Catholic |
| Website | stlaurences.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Laurence |
| Specifications | |
| Tower height | 157 feet (48 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Ludlow St Laurence |
| Deanery | Ludlow |
| Archdeaconry | Ludlow |
| Diocese | Hereford |
| Province | Canterbury |
St Laurence's Church in Ludlow, Shropshire, England, is a very important Church of England parish church. It's so special that it's listed as a Grade I building, which means it's of exceptional historical interest.
This church is part of the Greater Churches Group and is the biggest parish church in all of Shropshire. It was even called the "cathedral of the Marches" and received a five-star rating in a book called England's Thousand Greatest Churches. About 70,000 people visit St Laurence's every year, making it one of the most popular free attractions in the West Midlands.
Contents
Church History and Design
How St Laurence's Church Began
The church was first built when Ludlow town was founded by the Normans in the late 1000s. It sits on top of a hill, which is where the medieval town grew up around it. The church was rebuilt in 1199 and has been changed and added to many times since then.
The church's tower is 157 feet (48 metres) tall, reaching to the very top of its spires. From up there, you can see amazing views of Ludlow and the countryside around it. Inside, some cool features include special wooden carvings called misericords in the choir area, and beautiful stained glass windows.
A Look Back at the Church's Past
When people explored under the south porch, they found parts of the original Norman church from the 11th century. The church was made bigger in 1199 because more people were moving to Ludlow. Later, in the Middle Ages, Ludlow became very rich from selling wool. Because of this wealth, the church got many new additions.
Most of the big changes happened between 1433 and 1471, when much of the church, including the main part (nave), tower, and front section (chancel), was rebuilt. The tower was designed in a style called Perpendicular, which was popular in England in the late 1400s. The Saint John's Chapel was used by a group called the Palmers' Guild. A special window in this chapel shows the story of King Edward the Confessor and St John the Evangelist.
In 1540, a writer named John Leland said the church was "very Fayre and large and richly adorned and taken for the Fayrest in all these parts." This means he thought it was very beautiful and the best in the area!
The large window at the front of the church was fixed in 1832. It shows the sad story of St Laurence being killed for his beliefs. Even bigger repairs happened between 1859 and 1861, including new roofs, stone repairs, and new floors and seats. The tower was fixed again in 1889–91, and the roof in 1953–59.
Around 2008, a plan was started to fix the church and make it more useful for the community. A lot of money was raised for important repairs, like fixing the high stone parts and roofs, and adding new heating and lighting. There are also plans to make the main part of the church (nave) more flexible with movable seats, so it can be used for more community events.
Church Architecture and Features
The most noticeable part of the church from the outside is its square bell tower. This tower holds the church's famous old bells. Inside, the front part of the church (chancel) has medieval choir stalls with many detailed misericords. These are small wooden carvings on the underside of hinged seats. Many show heraldry (family symbols) or scenes from everyday life. They are carved very deeply and are quite small, about 25 centimetres wide and 12 centimetres high.
The chancel also has several monuments. Most of these mark the graves of important people connected to Ludlow Castle and the Council of the Marches. Besides the large front window, another special window shows the Ten Commandments, with six panels illustrating how they might be broken.
The main entrance to the church is through the south porch, which has six sides. This is very rare, as there are only three such porches in all of England! Inside, there are other chapels, like St Catherine’s Chapel and the Lady Chapel. The Lady Chapel has a large doorway that was once used for Ludlow's fire engine! Outside, you can find a stone memorial for the poet A. E. Housman and the Samuel Burgess Memorial Garden.
Important People Buried Here
Many interesting people are buried or remembered at St Laurence's Church.
- Arthur, Prince of Wales: He was the son of King Henry VII and the older brother of King Henry VIII. Prince Arthur died at Ludlow Castle in 1502. His "bowels" (a polite way of saying his internal organs) were buried in a lead box in the choir of the church. His body was buried in Worcester Cathedral.
- Ambrosia Sidney: She was the sister of famous poet Sir Philip Sidney. Ambrosia died at Ludlow Castle when she was only nine years old in 1574. She is buried near the altar under a grand memorial.
- Sir John Bridgeman: He was a Chief Justice in the 1600s and is buried in the church with a special tomb.
- Admiral James Vashon: Another important person buried here.
- A. E. Housman: The ashes of this famous poet are buried in the church grounds. His poem "The Recruit" often mentions the church tower. A cherry tree marks the spot where his ashes are.
- Adrian Jones: The ashes of this sculptor are also buried in the church grounds.
Inside the Church: Special Features
Choir Stalls and Misericords
St Laurence's Church has 28 misericords in the choir area. These are very high quality, like those found in big cathedrals such as Worcester or Gloucester. A misericord is a small wooden shelf carved on the underside of a hinged seat in a church. When the seat is tipped up, it provides a small support for someone standing during long services.
These carvings are made from thick pieces of wood. Sixteen of them are older, from around 1425. The others were carved around 1447, when the Palmers Guild bought a lot of oak wood to build the stalls.
-
A drawer of ale
-
Wrestlers
-
Detail of a Green Man
-
A mermaid
-
The misericords show many different things. One shows a Green Man (a face made of leaves), another a mermaid. Many show scenes of town life, like a wrestling match or someone getting ale from a barrel. One even shows a dishonest ale-wife being taken to hell by demons! A complex carving shows a rich homeowner with tools, a woman with a child, and a grave. This might mean the Palmers Guild helped people from birth to death.
Since Ludlow was a royal stronghold, some misericords show royal symbols. An antelope was the symbol of King Henry VI. A hart (deer) was the symbol of King Richard II, and three ostrich feathers were the symbol of the Black Prince. A swan represents the Bohun family, which was connected to King Henry IV.
The choir stalls were built at different times in the 1400s. In 1447, after the chancel was made longer, the number of stalls was doubled to 32. They were restored in the 1800s. The tops of the stalls, called poppyheads, are also beautifully carved. Some carvings include a Pieta (Mary holding Jesus after the crucifixion) and various saints.
The Porch and Its Secrets
Above the main entrance porch, on the first floor, there's a room called the Parvis room. This room has a small museum about the church's history. The porch also holds the town's war memorial, with bronze plaques listing the names of townsmen who died in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War. There are also three wooden "battlefield crosses" that once marked the graves of soldiers.
In St. Catherine's Chapel, some floor stones honor people who were part of the church recently. In the Lady Chapel, there's a board with the Ten Commandments, which dates back to the time of Elizabeth I during the English Reformation.
In the main part of the church (nave) and its side sections (aisles), you can see:
- The royal English coat of arms from 1628.
- A wall hanging called A Shropshire Lad, near the south door.
- The west window, which shows some of the historical figures connected to Ludlow Castle.
- The white ensign flag from HMS Ludlow.
The Church Organ
In the north side of the church, you'll find the John Snetzler organ. This organ was installed in 1764 and cost a lot of money (£1,000) thanks to Henry Arthur Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis. It originally had three keyboards and 19 stops (sets of pipes) and was located under the tower.
In the 1800s, the organ was repaired and made bigger by Gray and Davison. It was also moved to its current spot. By this time, a fourth keyboard had been added.
The organ was repaired again in the 1980s. In 2006, with help from the Heritage Lottery Fund, more work was done to clean the instrument, improve the console (where the organist sits), and add a new mounted cornet stop. More recently, new keyboards were added, and the blowing system and front pipes were fixed.
Church Leaders (Rectors)
The main priest of the parish is called the Rector.
- The Reverend Prebendary Brian Curnew (1994 to 2009)
- The Venerable Colin Williams (2010 to 2015)
- The Reverend Kelvin Price (May 2017 to present)
Images for kids
-
A drawer of ale
-
Wrestlers
-
Detail of a Green Man
-
A mermaid
-
-
18th century tomb inside the church.
-
The organ.
