Church of St Lawrence

Details

BOURTON-ON-THE-HILL MAIN STREET SP 1732 (south side) 10/60 Church of St. Lawrence 25.8.60 GV I Anglican parish church. C12 nave, C14 chancel and north aisle. C15 south aisle, nave clerestory and three stage tower. C19 porch. Coursed squared and dressed limestone. Roof not visible. Plan: west tower; nave with north and south aisles; porch from west end of north aisle; south porch opposite north porch, from south aisle; chancel. Exterior: plinth with moulded top around tower and chancel; nave with clerestory parapet with roll moulded coping with string below as on north and south aisles and porch. 5 gargoyles from string on north side of nave. Clerestory: 4-windowed; 3-light stone-mullioned casements with cusped heads and carved spandrels. North aisle: 2 tall 3-light windows with trefoil heads. String forms hood to windows with the addition of diamond stops to either side. 2-light Perpendicular window with stopped hood at west end; 3-light stone-mullioned casement with Perpendicular style tracery and hood with diamond stops at east end. North porch with studded door within moulded pointed arch with stopped hood. Small statue of St. Lawrence in niche with decorative canopy above door. South aisle same as north aisle but with diagonal buttress at east end and traces of 3 scratch sundials between windows of south wall. 3-light stone-mullioned window with Perpendicular tracery at east end. South porch with flat coped gable and upright cross finial over double studded plank door within moulded pointed archway with flat-chamfered imposts and stopped hood. West tower: diagonal buttresses with embattlemented parapet. Studded plank west door with angular pointed head and flat-chamfered surround. Restored 2- light window with reticulated tracery and stopped hood over door. Numerous single lights some with ogee heads in all faces of tower. 2-light belfry windows with vesicas and limestone slate louvres with stopped hoods. Internal stair up south west corner with pointed stone spirelet with weather-cock projecting above parapet level at top. Chancel: diagonal buttresses; parapet with cusped diaper in panels and crocketed finials at corners. 3-light east window with reticulated tracery. South wall: C19 two-light window with tracery and stopped hood. Blocked ogee arched doorway lower left. North wall: 2- windowed; 3-light stone mullioned window with trefoil headed lights and stopped hood. 2-light stone-mullioned casement with ogee cusping and stopped hood right. Interior: C19 panelled door in moulded arch from north porch into north aisle with 3-bay arcade of pointed flat-chamfered arches on hexagonal piers. Similar arches to chancel and tower. Wooden gallery erected c1827 by the Rev. Samuel Warneford (q.v. The Retreat and tomb in churchyard) at west end of north aisle. C19 panelled double door within C15, 4-centred arched doorway from south porch into south aisle within moulded surround with dragon and leopard in relief in left and right spandrels respectively; primitive carved bearded face on right jamb. South aisle: C12 arcade of 3-bays comprising 3 circular piers with scalloped capitals and pointed arches, the latter probably rebuilt late C12. Reputed remnants of upper part of C14 stone screen from Moreton-in- Marsh, at east end of south aisle, comprising the upper portion of 6 trefoiled lights in 3 pairs with blind ogee cusped quatrefoils above each pair. C20 mullions, except where omitted to form entrance far right. Step up to chancel. C14 piscina with trefoil arch, crocketed gable and pinnacles reset in jamb of rebuilt south window. Nave fittings: C15 octagonal font with tracery panels at rear of church. Standard Winchester bushel and beck dated 1816 at east end; C20 pews and pulpit. North aisle: painted wooden triptych of 1928 at east end. Chancel fittings: English style altar with dossal and riddel posts with carved and gilded angels by Edward Bateman 1928. C19 stained glass in east window. Monuments: C18 ledger to Ann Gibbs and highly decorated but eroded ledger to the wife of Alexander Popham (q.v. Bourton House) with date 1688 in floor of south porch. Monuments on south wall of south aisle: White on black decorated marble tablet with urn to William Bateson died 1819 over south door. Similar undated tablet without urn to William Gibb (q.v. chest tomb in churchyard) right of the former. White on purple/grey marble decorative tablet with urn to Robert Bateson died 1763, left. White on black decorative marble tablet with urn and heraldic shield to Susannah Bateson died 1768, left. Grey marble decorative tablet with heraldic shield and cupids to Robert Bateson died 1736, left. Grey marble tablet with open segmental pediment, heraldic shield and cupids to Kemp Harward 'Doctor in Physick' died 1743. Wood plaque, dated March 1831 recording the endowment of 'The Retreat for the Aged' above pier opposite the Kemp Harward memorial. (David Verey, The Buildings of England: The Cotswolds, (1979).

Listing NGR: SP1753132517

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

128698

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.