Description

SD 5817 NW CHORLEY CHURCH BROW

10/34 Church of St. Laurence
21.12.1966
GV II*

Church, substantially 1859-61 and 1913-14 in Perpendicular style, with
late medieval tower. Stone with slate roofs. West tower, nave with north
and south aisles under separate roofs of equal height, chancel and
separately roofed chapel with a transept. Battlemented tower of 3 stages
has diagonal west buttresses each with 3 carved boars heads at 1st stage
and cusped niche at 2nd stage; between these buttresses on 1st floor
dripmould with various figured bosses in the casement (3 faces, 2 animal
heads, flowers), a west doorway (probably C20) and a C19 4-light west
window with curvilinear tracery and a rose in the head; 3rd stage has an
arched 2-light belfry louvre with hoodmould in each side, above which the
north and south sides have prominent gargoyles; slightly-projecting stair
turret on south side. Old sanctus bellcote. North and south aisles are
buttressed and battlemented with prominent gargoyles; north aisle has
large arched west window with 5 trefoil-headed lights with intersecting
and Perpendicular tracery in the head, a gabled north doorway with
heavily moulded multifoil arch, and in the 4th bay a prominent canted bay,
battlemented with buttresses terminating in tall crocketed pinnacles;
south aisle has a 4-light west window, and in the 1st bay a gabled entrance
porch with moulded arch, a gable parapet pierced by quatrefoils, and a
foliated apex finial. On nave wall over porch is large round sundial with
the upper half lettered parallel with the circumference:

JOHANNES POLLARD ET ROBERTUS TOPPING
CUSTOSIAS SACRORUM
ANNO DOMINI MDCCCXXIIII

The chancel and the south chapel with its transept are in similar style,
but lower. Interior: 4-bay nave arcade of octagonal columns with
moulded caps and 2-centred arches linking 3 parallel vessels; nave has
arch braced kingpost roof with cusped windbraces; south aisle contains
relocated box pews of Standish family (c.1600, with elaborately carved
twin thrones) and of Charnock family (C18, with deep canopy carried on
twisted and barley-sugar posts); in chancel are various C18 and C19 wall
tablets, principally of Standish family, and a glazed recess or reliquary
containing old bones (reputedly relics of St. Laurence).

Listing NGR: SD5829817765

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• St Laurence's Church, Chorley at Wikipedia
• St Laurence's Church, Chorley official website
• Wikidata Q7593926

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Old House Care and Repair