St Laurence's Church, Morland Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids St Laurence's Church, Morland
St Laurence's Church, Morland, from the south
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OS grid reference	NY 598 226
Location	Morland, Cumbria
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Lawrence, Morland
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	6 February 1968
Architect(s)	C. J. Ferguson, W. D. Caröe (restorations)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Anglo-Saxon, Norman, Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Stone, slate roofs
Administration
Parish	Morland
Deanery	Appleby
Archdeaconry	Carlisle
Diocese	Carlisle
Province	York

St Laurence's Church is a historic church located in the village of Morland, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. This church is very special because it has the only Anglo-Saxon tower in the whole of Cumbria.

The church is an important part of the local community. It serves the parish of Morland, which also includes the historic area of Thrimby. St Laurence's Church is recognized as a Grade I listed building, which means it is a very important historical site.

Discover the Church's History
Exploring the Church's Architecture
- Exterior Features of the Church
- Inside the Church
Other Interesting Features Outside
Notable Burials
Gallery
See also

Discover the Church's History

The exact age of the church's tower is not fully known. However, experts believe it was built a very long time ago, between the years 1041 and 1055. In 1588, the tower was made taller, and a small spire was added later.

The main part of the church, called the nave, was built in the 12th century. It still has some features from the Norman period. The side sections, known as aisles, were added later in the same century. The chancel (the area around the altar) and transepts (the parts that stick out like arms of a cross) were built in the 13th century.

Over the years, parts of the church were rebuilt or updated. The chancel was rebuilt in 1600, and the north aisle was rebuilt in the 18th century. The church also had important restoration work done in 1896 by C. J. Ferguson and later in the 20th century by W. D. Caröe.

Exploring the Church's Architecture

St Laurence's Church is built from stone and has slate roofs. Its design is like a cross, which is called a cruciform plan. It includes a main nave, side aisles, a porch, transepts, a chancel, a vestry, and a tall tower at the west end.

Exterior Features of the Church

The church's tower is very old, built even before the Norman conquest. It has three sections and does not have any buttresses (supports) or outside doors. The windows on the tower are very small. The openings for the bells are set deep into the walls and have special stone dividers called baluster mullions. On the west side of the tower, there is a blue clock face.

The transepts have lancet windows, which are tall, narrow windows from the 13th century. The windows on the south side of the chancel and the large east window have four sections and are in the Perpendicular style. The windows along the north aisle are in the Georgian style, with decorative keystones at the top. The south porch has a pointed roof and stone benches inside. The inner doorway, dating from the 13th century, has a pointed arch.

Inside the Church

When you enter the church, you go down four steps. The door to the tower is very narrow. The south arcade (a row of arches) is supported by round piers (columns) with octagonal tops. The arches are pointed. The north arcade is similar, but one of its piers is octagonal and has a capital (the top part of a column) decorated with scallops.

You can still see pieces of old Norman zigzag carvings in the wall above the north transept and in the west wall of the north aisle. The reredos (a screen behind the altar) was made in 1926 by Caröe. The altar rail, which is from the late 17th century, is supported by decorative balusters. The pulpit (where sermons are given) was originally much larger and is dated 1721.

The font (a basin for baptisms) is a small, eight-sided bowl. Its cover has the date 1662 carved into it. The church also has a poor box, which was carved from a log and is dated 1648. Only the east window has stained glass; it was made in 1926 by Powells. In the south transept, there is a 13th-century coffin lid with a carved cross. The church's pipe organ, which has two keyboards, was built in 1913 and repaired in 1951. The tower holds three bells, dated 1687, 1726, and 1764.

Other Interesting Features Outside

Around the church, there are three other structures that are also listed as historic. To the southeast of the chancel, there is an altar tomb from the 15th century. It is made of sandstone blocks and has three brass plates, the oldest of which is dated 1781. This tomb is listed at Grade II*, meaning it is very important.

To the southwest of the tower, you'll find a sundial. It has a medieval cross-base, with a column probably from the 19th century. This sundial is listed at Grade II. Also listed at Grade II are the gatepiers (large posts) and walls at the entrance to the churchyard. The gatepiers have a rough, textured finish and are topped with ball-shaped decorations. There is an old inscription on the east side, but only the date 1723 can still be read.