St Lawrence's Church, Appleby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Lawrence's Church |
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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 Boroughgate, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, England. It is an active Anglican parish church, meaning it's a local church where people still come to worship today. This church is very special because it's listed as a Grade I building. This means it's super important for its history and architecture!
Contents
A Look Back in Time
The oldest part of St Lawrence's Church is the bottom of its tower, which was built around the year 1150. That's almost 900 years ago! The church's south porch was added in the 1200s. Most of the main church building was built later, during the 1300s and 1400s.
In 1655, a famous lady named Lady Anne Clifford helped restore the church. She rebuilt the north chapel and the chancel, which is the area near the altar. More changes were made in 1830–31 by Christopher Hodgson, who added ceilings. The church was also repaired and updated in 1861–62 and again in 1960.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
St Lawrence's Church is built from stone and has roofs made of lead. The church has a main area called the nave, with aisles on either side. It also has a chancel (the part where the altar is) and a chapel on the northeast side. There's a porch on the southwest side and a tall tower at the west end.
Both the tower and the upper part of the nave (called the clerestory) have battlements, which look like the tops of old castles. The very bottom of the tower shows signs of Norman architecture, which is an older, sturdy style. The rest of the outside of the church is in a style called Perpendicular Gothic, known for its tall, thin windows. You can also spot a clock on the tower that dates all the way back to 1699!
Inside the Church
The inside of the church shows a style called Decorated Gothic, which has more detailed carvings and designs. The main area of the church has five large arches, called arcades. 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 1800s. There's also a special pew for the town's officials. Some of the windows have beautiful stained glass artwork. Three of these were made by Heaton, Butler and Bayne, and others by William Wailes or Wailes and Strang.
Monuments and Memorials
In the northeast chapel, you'll find the monuments of Lady Anne Clifford and her mother, Lady Margaret Clifford. Lady Margaret died in 1616. Her monument is a black marble statue of her lying down, made of alabaster. It's thought to be the work of Maximilian Colt, a famous carver for the King.
Lady Anne Clifford's monument was made while she was still alive, around 1655–57. It's made of black-and-white marble and doesn't have a statue of her. Instead, it has a special screen (a reredos) with a family tree shown through shields. You can also see a very old stone statue of a woman from the 1300s in the church.
The Organ and Bells
The church has a large pipe organ with two keyboards. It was built in 1661 for Carlisle Cathedral and later given to St Lawrence's in 1683. It stands at the west end of the church. The organ case is very decorative, with three small towers on top. Each tower has a coat of arms, and below the top edge, you can see the heads of three putti (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, a famous bell-making company.
In December 2015, St Lawrence's Church experienced severe flooding from the nearby River Eden.
See also
- Grade I listed churches in Cumbria
- Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
- Listed buildings in Appleby-in-Westmorland
