Church of Saint Lawrence

Cadw's description

Location

Situated in the churchyard at St Lawrence on the E side of the minor road S from the Western Cleddau.

History

Anglican parish church, medieval, restored in 1877-8. The church was said in 1926 to have had a rood loft.

Exterior

Church, rubble stone with slate roofs, yellow clay crested ridge tiles (removed on chancel). Small scale, nave, chancel, large S porch and large W bellcote. W end has shouldered gable, C19 cusped lancet with stone voussoirs and bellcote with stepped sides, restored coped gable and 2 pointed bell openings. S wall is battered, porch has shouldered gable, stone pointed doorway, and similar inner S door, both pre-C19, chamfered with diagonal stops, set higher than present ground level. Broken stoup in porch corner. One C19 lancet to nave S wall right. Chancel windowless to S, 3-light E window with 3 roundels in apex, and stone voussoirs. Lean-to N vestry with 2 cusped lights E and pointed W door. Nave N wall is not battered at base and has two C19 cusped lancets.

Interior

Whitewashed plastered interior with slate paved floors attractively edged in zig-zag of red and buff tile. Nave has C19 roof with 3 big arch-braced collar trusses on corbels. Pointed rear arches to windows, flat head to S door. Low round chancel arch with thin imposts in rough slate. Narrow chancel with patterned tile floor, and C19 collar-rafter roof ceiled at collar level. Massive corbel on NW wall by chancel arch supporting curving piece of wall. Pointed N door to vestry. Big C12 square font tapered below to round shaft and moulded round base. On chancel S wall is relief-carved small Celtic cross in purple stone, possibly C10-11. C19 pews and timber pulpit with cinquefoil pierced panels, tapered to small stone base. C19 stalls, and wrought iron standards to rails with leaf and cross motifs.
Memorials: on N wall two fine plaques signed Greenways of Bristol, the first to John Protheroe of Egremont and later Stone Hall (d 1807), grey and white tapering plaque with laurel ornament and the other to John Wogan of Stone Hall and his descendants up to William Ford (d 1793), shield plaque in buff and white marble.
Chancel S plaque to Thomas Higgon (d 1834) signed J Thomas, Haverfordwest.

Reason for designation

Included as a substantially medieval small church, restored in C19 but retaining C12 font and C10-11 Celtic cross.