St Lawrence's Church, Appleby facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Lawrence's Church
St Lawrence's Church from the east
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OS grid reference	NY 683 204
Location	Boroughgate, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria CA16 6QN
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Churchmanship	Central
Website	St Lawrence, Appleby
History
Status	Parish church
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	6 June 1951
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Stone, lead roofs
Administration
Parish	Appleby
Deanery	Appleby
Archdeaconry	Carlisle
Diocese	Carlisle

St Lawrence's Church is a beautiful old church located in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican church, which means it is part of the Church of England. People still go there for services every week.

The church is a very important historical building. It is listed as a Grade I building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it is considered to be of exceptional interest and is protected.

A Look at the Church's Past

How Old is St Lawrence's Church?

The oldest part of St Lawrence's Church is the lower section of its tower. This part was built around the year 1150. That's over 870 years ago!

The church's south porch was added in the 13th century. The main part of the church was built later, during the 14th and 15th centuries.

Lady Anne Clifford's Role

In 1655, a famous woman named Lady Anne Clifford helped to restore the church. To "restore" means to repair and improve something old. She rebuilt the north chapel and the chancel, which is the area near the altar.

More work was done on the church in the 1800s and 1900s. Christopher Hodgson added new ceilings in 1830–31. There were also big restoration projects in 1861–62 and again in 1960.

Exploring the Church's Design

Outside the Church

St Lawrence's Church is built from stone and has roofs made of lead. It has a main area called the nave, with aisles on either side. There's also a chancel at the front and a chapel on the northeast side.

The church has a tower at the west end and a porch on the southwest side. Both the tower and the upper walls (called the clerestory) have battlements. These look like the tops of old castles.

The bottom part of the tower shows Norman architecture, which is a style from the 11th and 12th centuries. The rest of the outside of the church is in the Perpendicular Gothic style. This style was popular in England from the late 1300s to the early 1500s.

The tower also has an old clock that dates back to 1699.

Inside the Church

The inside of St Lawrence's Church is designed in the Decorated Gothic style. This style is known for its beautiful, detailed decorations.

The main part of the church has five arches that separate the nave from the aisles. The wooden screens inside the church are very old, from around the year 1500.

The baptismal font, where baptisms take place, is octagonal and made of black Frosterley Marble. It was added in the 19th century. There's also a special pew for the town's officials.

Stained Glass and Monuments

Many of the windows in the south aisle have beautiful stained glass. Some of this glass was made by a company called Heaton, Butler and Bayne. Other windows were created by William Wailes or by Wailes and Strang.

The northeast chapel is a very special part of the church. It holds the monuments of Lady Anne Clifford and her mother, Lady Margaret Clifford. Lady Margaret's monument is made of black marble with a white alabaster statue of her. It was likely made by Maximilian Colt, who was a famous sculptor.

Lady Anne Clifford's monument was made while she was still alive, around 1655–57. It is made of black and white marble. Instead of a statue, it has a reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) with a family tree shown through different shields. There is also a 14th-century stone statue of a woman in the church.

The Organ and Bells

St Lawrence's Church has a large pipe organ with two keyboards. This organ was originally built in 1661 for Carlisle Cathedral. In 1683, the dean of the cathedral gave it to St Lawrence's. It stands at the west end of the church, under the tower.

The organ's case is very decorative. It has three small towers, each topped with a coat of arms. Below the top edge, you can see the heads of three putti, which are small, winged figures.

The church also has a set of six bells. All of these bells were made in 1833 by Thomas Mears II at the Whitechapel Bell Foundry.

Flooding in 2015

In December 2015, St Lawrence's Church experienced severe flooding. This happened when the nearby River Eden overflowed its banks.

See also

• Grade I listed churches in Cumbria
• Listed buildings in Appleby-in-Westmorland