THE CHURCH OF ST. LAWRENCE
The Nave and Aisles
The Nave together with the North and South Aisles are the oldest parts of the existing Church building and were originally built between 1140 to 1150. The Nave has North and South two bay arcades, with circular columns and square scalloped and foliated capitals. These round arches were built in the 12th century and have inner zigzag and outer billet mouldings. There are scalloped capitals to the North arcade with bead ornament on round piers and responds. In the South arcade there is a scalloped capital to the round West respond and a central round pier with foliate capital; probably 13th century. The South pier to the East is octagonal with a moulded capital; probably 14th century. There is a sharply pointed 13th century tower arch with roll moulding and responds with foliate capitals. The North arcade from the nave to the aisle stops short at the East end with a supplementary small arch inserted in the late 19th century.
The South East corner of the arcade between the nave and the South aisle was originally separated from the Corpus Christi Chapel. In the 16th century a broad four centred skew arch was inserted opening up the junction of the nave, aisle, chancel and chapel; this also linked the South nave arcade to the chancel arcade. In 1975 the Skew arch was reinforced with a central pier forming two pointed arches. The semi-circular arches to the nave arcades, are good examples of late Anglo-Norman style. The foliate capitals are foreign in origin, but form the rough model of the later more delicate English Gothic architecture. The pointed tower arch and associated mouldings are late Norman or Transitional in character; prior to the Early English Gothic period of architecture.
The aisle walls were largely rebuilt, the Nave walls raised and new aisle and clerestory windows inserted during the restoration work between 1396 and 1401. There is some evidence of earlier clerestory windows at a lower level; these were discovered when the external plaster was removed in 1932. The present porch is a building of brick and stucco and was rebuilt in a gothic style in the early 19th century. It consists of a moulded pointed arch with square hood mould, diagonal buttresses, parapet, inner pointed arched entrance, arms in spandrells and quatrefoil ornament on the ceiling.
