St Lawrence's Church, Evesham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Lawrence's Church, Evesham |
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St Lawrence's Church, Evesham, from the northeast
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| OS grid reference | SP 036 436 |
| Location | Evesham, Worcestershire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Lawrence |
| Dedicated | 1295 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 7 May 1952 |
| Architect(s) | Harvey Eginton |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic, Gothic Revival |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | 1837 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Stone, slate roofs |
St Lawrence's Church is an old Anglican church in the middle of Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It is no longer used for regular church services. This church is a special building, listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's very important and protected. The Churches Conservation Trust looks after it. St Lawrence's Church is very close to All Saints Church and the tall bell tower of the old Evesham Abbey.
Contents
History of St Lawrence's Church
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Both St Lawrence's Church and its nearby church, All Saints, were built by Benedictine monks from Evesham Abbey. This happened way back in the 1100s. We first find records of the church in 1195. It was officially dedicated in 1295 by the Bishop of St Asaph. This was probably a new dedication after the Battle of Evesham in 1265.
Around 1470, the church was largely rebuilt. This new building replaced the older one. From 1659, St Lawrence's no longer had its own vicar. Instead, the priests from All Saints Church looked after it. Over time, the church building started to fall apart. By 1718, it was so bad that people couldn't use it.
Repairs began in 1737, but they weren't done well. The roof even fell in during 1800! The church was then left empty. In the early 1800s, a man named Edward Rudge hired an architect, Harvey Eginton. He did a big rebuilding project in 1836–37. This included adding a new section (a north aisle) and fixing the roof.
Later, in the 1900s, fewer people attended the church. In 1978, St Lawrence's joined with All Saints Church. St Lawrence's was then officially declared "redundant," meaning it was no longer needed for regular services. The Churches Conservation Trust took over its care the next year.
Church Design and Features
Outside the Church
The church is made of stone with slate roofs. It has a main area called a nave with four sections, and a high row of windows called a clerestory. On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. There's also a chancel (the area around the altar) with two sections. The aisles are almost as wide as the nave and continue next to the chancel. The very front part of the chancel sticks out a bit, forming a small sanctuary.
At the west end of the church is a tower with a porch. There's also a small chapel on the south side. The tower has strong supports called buttresses and a small stair turret on one side. On the west side, there's a doorway in the Perpendicular style, which was popular in the late Middle Ages. Above this door is a large window with four sections. The top part of the tower has openings for bells. At the very top, there's a decorative wall called a parapet with pointed decorations called pinnacles. A short spire sits on top of the tower.
The large east window in the chancel is also in the Perpendicular style. It has six sections and almost fills the entire east wall. Both the north and south aisles have pointed roofs called gables at their east and west ends. These gables have windows with three sections, also in the Perpendicular style. The north aisle has more three-section Perpendicular windows, a fancy doorway with a curved arch, a decorative parapet, and more pointed decorations. The chapel on the south side sticks out from the church. It has strong supports, a decorative parapet, and a large south window with five sections and horizontal bars called transoms.
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Inside the Church
Inside, there isn't a separate arch dividing the nave from the chancel. Between the nave and the aisles are four-section arcades. These are rows of arches supported by diamond-shaped piers (columns) in a Tudor style. There's also a three-section arcade between the chancel and the chapels next to it.
The stone reredos (a decorated screen behind the altar) was made in 1838. It has decorative covers over carved words from the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments. There are also carved screens between the chancel and the aisles, made around 1900. The wooden communion table is from the Jacobean period and was given to the church in 1610.
The wooden pulpit (where sermons are given) has many sides. It was made in 1906 and has carved figures of the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), Bishop Egwin, and Saint Lawrence. The font (used for baptisms) is from the Middle Ages. It has an eight-sided bowl on an eight-sided base.
The south chapel has a stone ceiling with a special "fan vault" design and a floor made of decorative encaustic tiles. It also has a copy of the medieval font. The large east window has beautiful stained glass from 1862 by Thomas Willement. It shows scenes like the Resurrection and the Last Supper, along with coats of arms. Other windows in the church were made by different artists, including Gibbs, O'Connor, Hardman & Co., Geoffrey Webb, Evans and Co., Paul Woodroffe, A. L. Wilkinson, and Francis Skeat. The organ, which has two keyboards, was built by Nicholson of Worcester in 1867.
People Buried Here
- Anne Rudge (1761–1836), who was an artist known for drawing plants.
- Edward Rudge (1763–1846), who studied plants and old things.
See also
