St Lawrence Parish Church, Hunworth facts for kids
St Lawrence Parish Church is a very old and special church in the village of Hunworth, Norfolk, England. It's so important that it's a Grade II listed building, which means it's protected because of its history and beauty. The church is named after Saint Lawrence, a brave person who died a long, long time ago in 258 AD.
Contents
The Church's Long History
The church building is very old, but no one knows the exact date it was first built. The oldest part is the main hall, called the nave. Its style shows it was built in the 11th century, during the early Norman period.
Building Materials and Early Changes
The church is made from flint, a type of stone. The outside south wall is from the Norman period. It shows how people built with flint back then, using whole stones in wide rows. This wall once had a special window that was wider on the inside than the outside, called a double splayed window. It was hidden for many years and found again in the 1960s.
In the early 12th century, the outside north wall was added. It also used flint, but laid a bit differently. Later, around the 1350s, new windows were put into the south wall. These windows have a style called Perpendicular Gothic. They show how church building changed after the terrible disease known as the Black Death.
Adding the Tower and Other Parts
Around 1370, a tall tower was built at the west end of the church. This tower likely replaced an even older one. In the mid-1400s, the church got a big makeover. The tower was made taller and given a bell room, called a belfry, with fancy battlements on top. It also got stronger supports called buttresses.
The belfry originally had three bells. However, two were sold in 1746. The one bell that remains was made by a bell-making family from Norwich. During this time, a side room called the south transept was also added. Its beautiful design suggests a rich person probably paid for it. This room was used as a Lady chapel, a special place to honor the Virgin Mary. It had a small sink, called a piscina, for washing church items. The wooden roof inside this room is the only medieval wood left in the church.
The south porch was also added in the 1400s. This porch is quite tall, which was common for that time. On its lower supports, you can see a flint design of the letter 'L' with a crown and a griddle. This design is a symbol for Saint Lawrence and how he died.
Later Repairs and Important People
In 1779, a big storm damaged the front part of the church, called the chancel. Many old features were lost, like stained glass windows and wall paintings. The chancel wasn't rebuilt until 1850. Reverend James Bulwer led this restoration. He added the triple lancet window at the east end.
Reverend Bulwer was a very famous person connected to St Lawrence's Church. He became the Rector in 1848. He loved history and art, and collected many old papers. Many of his papers are now at Norwich Castle Museum. He was also a talented artist and friends with other famous artists. Some of his paintings of St Lawrence's Church are also at Norwich Castle Museum. His simple grave is in the churchyard.
In 1850, during the chancel rebuilding, new benches with carved ends, called poppyhead benches, were added. Later, in 1935, Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere spent a lot of money on new things for the church's inside. These included copies of the Book of Common Prayer, a brass vase for the altar, and an eagle-shaped stand for reading, called a lectern.
Inside the Church
Special Features and Memorials
The old font, used for baptisms, stands under the west tower. There's a small statue of Saint Lawrence in a special spot on the north side. The floor has pretty ceramic tiles.
You can also see two memorial stones for the Britiffe family. They were a local family, known as gentry, who became very important in Hunworth over 200 years. Edmund Britiffe and his wife Rebecca, who built the nearby Hunworth Hall, are buried under a memorial stone in the main part of the church. Their son, also named Edmund, and his daughter Henrietta are buried under a fancy marble stone closer to the altar.
