Details
SK 21 NW PARISH OF WALTON-UPON-TRENT STATION ROAD
2/52 (North Side)
19.1.67 Church of St Laurence
GV II*
Parish church. Late C12, C13, c1334 and C15, restored by Street
in 1868, also with early C20 additions and alterations. Ashlar
tower, transept and vestry with coursed rubble stone elsewhere,
plus moulded plinth to tower and south transept and plain plinth
elsewhere. Steeply pitched plain tile roofs to nave, chancel
and south transept with stone coped eastern gable to chancel on
moulded stone kneelers and slate roof to south aisle. Three
stage Perp west tower, nave with late C12 south aisle, south
transept, 1934 north vestry, and lower C13 chancel. Large
ashlar west tower has full height stepped angle buttresses to
all corners and a gableted staircase turret to south with small
slit windows. West elevation has pointed window to first stage
with C19 panel tracery and crude hoodmould. Above there is a
C20 statue in original nodding ogee headed niche with three
coats of arms of Ferrers and Gresley families below. South
elevation has a blocked pointed doorcase. Bell stage has
pointed 2-light louvred bell openings to all sides with cusped
Y-tracery, set in deep surrounds, also a chamfered sill band and
metal clockfaces to the bases of the south and east openings.
Above again there is a coved eaves stringcourse with gargoyles
to centre of each side and embattled parapets. North nave
elevation has vestry to west end which has stepped angle
buttresses and slate roof with external stack to east gable plus
moulded eaves band below blocking course. West gable wall has a
moulded doorcase with studded oak door and north elevation has
two 2-light windows below Tudor hoods with trefoil headed
lights, plus decorative hopper head between. North nave wall to
east has traces of C12 semi-circular arch, two 4-light flat
headed 1934 windows with strange cusped diamond shaped tracery
to top of each light and large C15 buttresses to either end.
North chancel elevation has a lancet to west, and Disbrowe
family vault to east, enclosed by railings, with two stone wall
memorials to Edward Disbrowe and his wife, who died 1818 and
1798 respectively. Beyond to east is C19 organ bay with small
lancet to north and beyond again the chancel has another lancet.
Triple stepped lancet east window with continuous hoodmould is
by Scott and has flanking clasping stepped buttresses. South
chancel elevation has a C19 lancet to east, an adjoining pair to
west, with Caernarvon arched doorcase and C13 lancet beyond.
c1334 transept is much restored and has a continuous moulded
sill band. East elevation has two 3-light pointed crude Dec
tracery windows with hoodmoulds and stepped buttress between.
South elevation has 4-light C19 copy with stepped clasping
buttresses to either side and west elevation has similar C14
2-light window to south end. South aisle has adjoining cusped
lancets to east and raised C19 gabled doorcase to west with
moulded pointed door plus hoodmould, also a large lancet to
west wall. Interior has three bay late C12 south arcade with
double stepped arches, outer arch chamfered and inner arch
plain, on columns with circular stylised leaf capitals, all
slightly different. Tower has tall continuous moulded pointed
arch and there is a similar arch from the south aisle into the
south transept which cuts into the nave arcade. South transept
has a large squint passage into the chancel with ogee headed
doorcase from the chancel. All transept windows have moulded
edges and hoodmoulds, and transept roof has original moulded
stone cornice with arched braced C19 roof above. Nave and
chancel also have C19 roofs, that to nave with collared trusses
plus large cusped windbraces and that to chancel barrel vaulted
with angel carvings. West end of nave has a semi-circular C12
door into the north vestry. In the chancel there is a triple
stone sedilla with trefoil headed arches and an adjoining
piscina to east, also on the opposite wall there are two alms
cupboards with carved wooden doors. The carved oak altar,
reredos, altar rails and choir stalls are all c1935 and by Rev F
Fisher. Organ bay has handsome late C19 organ and across the
west end of the chancel is an elaborately carved rood screen
with timber fan vaulting supporting gallery above, which is
signed AL and dated 1896. Gallery is reached from stone newel
staircase to north side via the octagonal carved oak pulpit,
another Fisher piece. Also by Fisher are the Perp style oak
screen to tower, the elaborately weighted font cover, the lobby
to south door, the screen from the aisle into the transept with
sheep to top and possibly also the screen across the transept.
The nave has plain late C19 pews, some with poppy heads to bench
ends, and in the tower is an octagonal stone font. The transept
has a C19 triple sedilla and piscina with moulded hoodmoulds
plus stops carved with initials MS and TS, also a C14 moulded
tomb niche with mutilated effigy. There are several good
monuments, including four late C17 alabaster slabs to chancel
floor, a brass dated 1492 restored in 1886 and two fine wall
memorials, that to south wall c1680 to Thomas Bearcroft with
black barley sugar columns supporting pediment which is topped
by large achievement flanked by putti, also with bust within the
aedicule. Monument to north wall is to William Taylor c1733,
and has a classical aedicule in coloured marble. Also in the
chancel is a large brass chandelier dated 1733. The nave has
two wall memorials, both to Gisborne family, one c1852, the
other c1892. The tower is filled by mid C19 and early C20 wall
memorials to members of the Disbrowe family, mostly slate with
marble plus crests to top, but one to south side to Charlotte
Disbrowe of c1793 is sarcophagus shaped with scrolled top. West
end of south aisle has four slate and white marble wall
memorials, all early to mid C19, and a worn late C16 alabaster
slab. Stained glass windows are all late C19 or early C20.
Chancel has figurative early C20 east window, brightly coloured
glass of c1872 to eastern lancets, c1903 glass to central window
on south side, and similar to two western lancets. North nave
window has glass by C Webb dated 1932 and south aisle has glass
by Swaine Bourne of Birmingham, c1880. West window of tower
has late C19 stained glass.
Listing NGR: SK2158918230
