St Lawrence's Church, Broughton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Lawrence's Church, Broughton |
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St Lawrence's Church, Broughton, from the south
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| OS grid reference | SP 894 401 |
| Location | Broughton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Lawrence |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 17 November 1966 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
St Lawrence's Church is an old Anglican church in Broughton, Milton Keynes, England. It's a "redundant" church, which means it's no longer used for regular church services. This church is very special! It's listed as a Grade I building, which is the highest level of protection for historic places in England.
The Churches Conservation Trust looks after St Lawrence's Church. It stands on the eastern side of Milton Keynes. The church is famous for its amazing medieval wall paintings.
History of the Church
The church was built a long, long time ago, in the 1300s and 1400s. In the 1800s, during the Victorian era, the church was repaired and updated. This is called a "Victorian restoration." During this time, the part of the church where the altar is, called the chancel, was rebuilt.
In 1849, something exciting happened! People found a series of medieval wall paintings that had been hidden under plaster for 300 years. Imagine that! In the 1930s, an expert named Professor Tristram carefully repaired these old paintings.
On August 1, 1987, the church was officially given to the Churches Conservation Trust. They now make sure this important building is kept safe and sound for everyone to see.
Church Design and Art
Outside the Church
St Lawrence's Church is built from stone. It has lead roofs with flat edges called parapets. The church has a main open area called a nave, but it doesn't have side sections (aisles). There's a porch on the south side, the chancel (where the altar is), and a tower at the west end.
The tower has three levels. It has strong supports called buttresses and a fancy top edge called an embattled parapet. On the south side of the church, there are three windows with three sections each. One window, from the 1300s, has a special stone pattern called tracery. Other windows are in a style called Perpendicular Gothic. On the north side, there's a staircase that used to lead to a rood loft, which was a platform above the main part of the church.
Inside the Church
The most amazing things inside are the wall paintings in the nave, which are from around the year 1400. On the south wall, you can see a painting of Saint George fighting the dragon. Sadly, Saint George lost his head in the 1400s when the ceiling was made lower!
On the north wall, there are two important paintings: a doom painting and a Pietà. These paintings were made to warn people not to swear. You can also see paintings of Saint Helena and Saint Eligius.
The pulpit, where the priest gives sermons, is from the late 1600s or early 1700s. There are also old memorials, including black marble stones under the altar. You can find small pieces of old metal plaques, called brasses, from the 1300s and 1400s. There's also a wall monument from the 1600s.
The beautiful stained glass windows in the chancel were made by Charles Eamer Kempe in 1894. Another stained glass window in the nave, from 1864, was made by A. Gibbs.
The church has a set of four bells, but they can't be rung anymore. The two oldest bells were made around 1470! The other two were made in 1622 and 1655.
See also
