St Lawrence Church, Morden facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Lawrence Church, Morden |
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| 51°23′32.1″N 0°12′15.11″W / 51.392250°N 0.2041972°W | |
| Location | London Borough of Merton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Evangelical Anglican |
| History | |
| Founder(s) | Richard Garth |
| Architecture | |
| Years built | 1630s |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Morden |
| Diocese | Southwark |
St Lawrence Church is a special church in Morden, which is part of the London Borough of Merton. It is the main church for the local area, belonging to the Church of England. The church building is very old and important. It is officially called a Grade I listed building. This means it is one of the most important historic buildings in England.
You can find St Lawrence Church on London Road. It sits on the highest point in Morden, looking over Morden Park. The Morden area has four churches in total. Besides St Lawrence, there are Emmanuel, St Martin's, and St George's.
Contents
Discovering St Lawrence Church
When Was St Lawrence Church Built?
St Lawrence Church was built a long time ago, in 1636. It is likely that there was an older church building in the same spot before this one.
The land where the church stands has an interesting history. A nearby place called Merton Abbey was closed down by King Henry VIII. This happened during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The land was then sold. It was bought by Edward Whitchurch and Lionel Dutchet. However, they left for Europe when Queen Mary became queen. After that, the Garth family became the owners of the land.
What Does St Lawrence Church Look Like?
The Outside of the Church
The church building is designed in a style called Gothic. It has special stone decorations and a red roof that is quite steep. Most of the outside walls are made of red bricks.
The church has a main part called the nave. This part does not have aisles and has four sections. It has pointed windows with two lights in each. The nave connects to a shorter section called the chancel. There is also a square tower at the west end of the church. This tower has three levels.
You will see a porch on the south-west side of the church. It sticks out and has a pointed archway for the entrance. This part was fixed up in 1887. A room called the north vestry was added in 1805. The east window is very decorative. It has a 'Y' shape design with four lights.
The Inside of the Church
Inside St Lawrence Church, the walls are covered with plaster and painted white. You can see the wooden beams that support the roof. These beams are called tie beams and king posts. The roof itself is shaped like a circle inside.
A special area for seating, called the west gallery, was added in 1792. There is an original stained glass window at the east end. It shows pictures of Moses and Aaron. You can also see many old monuments on the walls.
The church has a wooden pulpit where the speaker stands. This pulpit was made in 1720. It has a special board above it called a sounding-board. This board helps to make the speaker's voice louder. The tower holds three bells. Because of rules from Historic England, these bells can only be rung slowly, not swung. This is to protect the old bell frame.
What Happens at St Lawrence Church?
St Lawrence Church holds services every Sunday. There are services at 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, and 6:30 PM. The 10:30 AM service is great for families. Children can join the first part of the service. After that, they go to Sunday Club for their own activities.
Who Leads St Lawrence Church?
The church has leaders who help run everything and guide the community.
- Revd David Heath-Whyte is the main leader, known as the Team Rector.
- The Rt Revd Precious Omuku is an honorary curate. This means he helps out. He is also an assistant bishop in the Diocese of Southwark. He became a bishop in South Sudan on January 3, 2016.
