Gotham St Lawrence

Official Listing Description

SK 53 SW

2/25

13.10.66

 GOTHAM

LEAKE ROAD
(east side)

Church of St. Lawrence

Grade I

Parish church. C13, C14, C15, restored 1789, repaired 1869. Dressed coursed rubble, and ashlar, red brick and render. Slate roofs, the nave being hipped. Parapets and coped gables with single ridge finial to the east chancel. Single stack to the west wall of the north aisle. Buttressed apart from the tower. Tower with spire, nave, aisles, south porch, north porch nowvestry, and chancel. Dressed coursed rubble and ashlar C13 tower set on a chamfered plinth with moulded band over of 3 stages with bands, corbel table and broach spire. Spire with 2 tiers of 4 lucarnes, the lower with 2 lights. West moulded and chamfered arched doorway with hood mould and C19 label stops. Single ogee arched light over with hood mould. North side with single C13 lancet, south side with single similar larger lancet and 3 rectangular stair lights. The 4 arched bell chamber openings each have 2 arched lights, plate tracery and hood moulds. Under the south and north openings are single clock faces. The west wall of the rendered north aisle has a single restored C14 arched 2 light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. The north wall has a single similar window lacking the left label stop. To the left is the projecting rendered vestry. The north wall has a single C14 arched 2 light window with cusped tracery, hood mould and label stops. Inner double chamfered arched doorway with hood mould human head label stops and C18 panelled door. To theleft is a single C14 arched 2 light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. The east wall has a single C14 2 ight window with reticulated tracery under a flat arch. In the dressed coursed rubble and ashlar clerestory are 5 pointed segmental arched C15 3 light windows with cusped panel tracery, hood moulds and label stops. The rendered chancel is set on a plinth to the north and has 2 C14 arched windows each with 2 ogee arched and cusped lights, hood mould and label stops, that on the left is smaller. The east end is on a deeper plinth and has a single restored arched 3 light C15 window with cusped panel tracery, hood mould and label stops. Over is a plaque inscribed “Repaired in MDCCLXXXIX IK”. The south chancel has a single window corresponding to the north, to the left is a single C14 window with 2 ogee arched and cusped lights and cusped tracery under a flat arch. Adjacent this wall are a single C18 and 2 C19 slate headstones by Walkers and Winfield. The east wall of the ashlar and rendered south aisle has a single early C14 arched 2 light window with Y tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. Adjacent are 2 C18 and 2 C19 slate headstones, one by Winfield and one by Archer. The south wall has a single similar window, hood mould and the remains of a single label stop. To the left is the rendered and gabled porch with moulded arched entrance. Inner chamfered arched doorway with hood mould and human head label stops. Further left is a single arched C14 window with 2 arched lights, single quatrefoil, hood mould and human head label stops. The west wall has a single C14 arched 2 light window with reticulated tracery, hood mould and human head label stops. The clerestory corresponds to the north. Interior. Early C13 south 5 bay arcade with circular columns, the westernmost column with moulded capital, that to its east with waterleaf moulding, the capital further east is decorated with single human head at each corner, from each mouth sprout foliate tendrils. There is a band of nailhead over. The easternmost capital has stiff leaf moulding with a band of nailhead over. Double chamfered arches. 5 bay C14 north arcade with octagnal columns, moulded capitals and double chamfered arches. The eastern respond being a carved human head. Broach stops to the outer chamfer. Double chamfered tower arch, octagonal responds with moulded capitals. Double chamfered chancel arch with plain jambs. Inner order supported on carved human heads. North chancel wall with remains of foreshortened moulded arched tomb recess. South aisle, south wall, with chamfered arched piscina. 2 carved oak chests, remaining furniture C19 or C20, with C19 octagonal font with quatrefoil panels. West nave with 2 C19 slate wall tablets. South aisle has a memorial to Anne Borrow, 1799, the apron and crown both decorated with single shields. That to Thomas Borrow, 1773, has a decorative shield on the apron and single decorative urn on the crown flanked by single smaller urns. The memorial to John Barrow, 1707, has a shaped crown topped with segmental pediment surmounted by a small urn. There are 2 C18 slate wall tablets. The memorial to Samuel Martin, 1775, has a small shield on the apron and an urn surmounting the crown. Under this memorial is a slate tablet with biblical text. The east chancel has a wall tablet with moulded surround to Gergii Loxcroete, 1619. Above is a similar tablet surmounted by a painted shield. There is a memorial to John Bridges, 1710, single Corinthian pilasters flank the inscription and support a segmental pediment topped with decorative shield. A carved angel’s head supports the apron. On the west chancel wall is a memorial to John Foxcroft, 1662, the inscription is surmounted by a broken pediment containing a decorative shield. On the north wall is a memorial to John St. Andrew and his wife, 1625. The inscription tablets flank a single central shield with strapwork decorating the apron. Above and set into a niche are single kneeling male and female figures facing one another with 3 further small damaged kneeling figures and child in a cradle. Either side are single Ionic columns supporting an entablature with single outer decorative shields over and single central larger shield set into an arched and cusped niche. On the south wall is an early C17 memorial to Will St. Andrew and his wives, some strapwork under the inscription tablets, set into a recess above are 2 female kneeling figures with 4 further small kneeling figures. Each of the larger figures with arch over with decorated spandrels. Either side are composite columns supporting an entablature. Over and set into an arched niche is a single kneeling male figure. Arch supported on pilaster strips and decorated with strapwork. Over is a single decorative shield. 2 C17 floor slabs in the chancel. North aisle roof with chamfered and C16 moulded beams. South aisle roof with C17 chamfered beams. Wall tablet in north aisle detailing the re-pewing of the church and the church wardens, 1835.