The Roman Catholic Church of St Lawrence

Summary

A Roman Catholic Church with sacristy built in 1838 from a converted stable, brew house and ostler's accommodation belonging to a former inn (now the presbytery, Grade II-listed), originating from the C17, altered and extended in the C18.

Reasons for Designation

The Roman Catholic Church of St Lawrence and attached Sacristy of 1838 is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: as a good example of a mission church of 1838 in a rural town, created by successfully converting a former outbuilding;
* Interior: its early C19 interior, retaining most of its bespoke fixtures and fittings shows good quality craftsmanship;
* Historic interest: as a relatively early example of a Roman Catholic mission church built by the Diocese of Clifton in a rural area, reflecting the expansion of the Roman Catholic Church in the decade following the 1829 Emancipation Act;
* Group value: it forms an important group with the adjacent Grade II-listed presbytery.

History

The Roman Catholic Church of St Lawrence with attached sacristy, was built in 1838 as a mission church from converted outbuildings (comprising a former brew house, stables, and part of the ostler's accommodation) belonging to the former Swan Inn, dating from the circa C17, and altered and extended in the C18. In the early C19 the Inn had been bought by Sarah Neve, the Roman Catholic wife of the Vicar of Old Sodbury to establish the mission church. The Inn itself, facing Broad Street, became the presbytery (Grade II-listed). The church and presbytery were endowed to the Diocese of Clifton and served by Benedictine monks from Ampleforth and Downside, and later Douai. Since 1928 secular clergy have been appointed at St Lawrence.

Details

A Roman Catholic Church with sacristy built in 1838 from a converted stable, brew house and ostler's accommodation belonging to a former inn (now the presbytery), originating from the C17, altered and extended in the C18.

MATERIALS: built in stone rubble with a tiled pitched roof with a rendered stack at its S end (heightened in brick) where it abuts the adjacent kitchen wing to the presbytery (probably a later infill), and a further, smaller brick stack to the nave and similarly to the sacristy at its N end.

PLAN: an open rectangular nave with the narthex at its S end, and the sanctuary with attached sacristy at its N end.

EXTERIOR: the main elevation facing the courtyard, retaining a vernacular style, is four bays wide. The entrance in the far right-hand bay, has a flat-arched opening with late C20 timber double replacement doors. The three windows to the nave are set in rectangular openings with stone sills and a central keystone, and are surrounded by later brickwork, suggesting they were probably inserted when the building was converted into a church. The elevation shows the remnants of a number of former openings, now blocked up. The sacristy to the far left comprises the far right hand bay of the former ostler's accommodation, attached to the N end of the church and projecting slightly further forward into the courtyard. The entrance to the sacristy has steps leading to a doorway with a moulded stone ashlar surround, restored in the late C20. Above it to the right is a stone mullion window.

INTERIOR: The narthex has timber raised and fielded panelling with a dog leg stair with stick balusters, square posts and swept handrail leading to the gallery. The nave has raised and fielded panelling with white washed walls and ceiling above, though the remnants of decorative early C19 bands of stencilling in green and gold are visible on the walls. The slightly raised sanctuary at the N end, has taller raised and fielded panelling to the walls with a decoratively moulded frieze with a carved and gilded fleurs-de-lys motif, with at its centre a highly decorative timber altar piece in Gothic style. The reredos contains paintings of the four apostles flanking a gold tabernacle with crucifix above. The reredos is now separated from the altar which has been moved forward, as required by Vatican II. The altar also contains paintings, including that of the lamb of God to the centre, flanked to either side by images of white lilies.

The ceiling over the nave, sanctuary and gallery contains an exposed timber king-post roof of seven bays. A door to the left of the sanctuary leads to the sacristy attached to the N, which contains early C19 raised and fielded timber painted panelling to wainscot level throughout with a projecting, fully integrated fireplace.

It is considered that the parish hall, with flat roofed later C20 extension, attached to the N, and the outbuildings opposite the church on the W side of the courtyard are not of special architectural or historic interest and are thus excluded from the listing.

Sources

Books and journals
Verey, D, Brooks, A, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 2 The Vale and the Forest of Dean, (2002), 297
Kelly, B W, Historical notes on English Catholic Missions, (1907), 130
Harding, J A, The Diocese of Clifton, 1850-2000, (1999), 110-111

Other
Churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clifton - An Architectural and Historical Review prepared for the Diocese of Clifton and Historic England by the Architectural History Practice Ltd, January 2016

End of official list entry

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