St Laurence Church, Ludlow

St Laurence Church, Ludlow was established as a Norman place of worship in association with the founding of Ludlow in the 11th century AD. This parish church in Shropshire, England contains an extensive set of misericords in the choir stalls as well as fine stained glass windows. The tower is 42 meters in height and commands expansive views of the local area. The church was rebuilt in the year 1199 and has had several later additions and modifications.

History

Original Norman traces were found beneath the south porch, indicating some extant foundations exist from the 11th century AD [David Lloyd,"Historic Ludlow: The Parish Church of Saint Laurence, a History and a Guide", SP Print, Birmingham, England (1980)] . After its initial construction the church was expanded and rebuilt in 1199 to accommodate a flourishing town population. In the late Middle Ages considerable wealth accrued to the town based upon the wool trade. Correspondingly the church underwent several further additions in that era. The major works occurred between 1433 and 1471 with a virtual re-building of the nave, tower and chancel elements ["The Parish Church of St Laurence, Ludlow", published by the Parish Church of St Laurence, 2 College Street, Ludlow, England. (2004)] . The tower took on a perpendicular style which was modish in the late 15th century in England. The Saint John's Chapel on the north side was the chapel of the Palmers Guild , who thrived in the Late Middle Ages. The Palmers Window within St John's Chapel illustrates the legend of King Edward the Confessor and St John the Evangelist. by eight panels and was inspired by the Ludlow Palmers’ 13th century pilgrimage to the Holy Land

.

The sizeable east window of the chancel underwent restoration in the year 1832; this window depicts the martyrdom of St. Laurence. The most extensive modern repairs and rehabilitation occurred in the period 1859 to 1861, which consisted primarily of interior modifications.

It is a member of the Greater Churches Group.

Architecture

The dominant exterior feature is the square bell tower, which houses the historic and famed bells of the church. The chancel contains the mediaeval choir stalls adorned with numerous misericords. Many of these fine wood carvings are of heraldry and others are genre scenes of common life. Typical sizes of the misericords and upper bench carvings are 25 centimeters wide by 12 centimeters high; the carvings have very deep relief (up to two centimetres). Some of the elements of the carving are repeated on roof adornments ["Architecture of St Laurence Church, Ludlow, England", Lumina Technologies, Aberdeen, Scotland, July, 2006] .

Below the chancel are the catacombs, holding an impressive set of church monuments, most of which contain deceased persons involved with Ludlow Castle’s Council of the Marches. Other than the large chancel east window, there are other notable windows within the chancel; the most remarkable one depicts the Ten Commandments, illustrating six of the commandments being broken.

The hexagonal south porch derives from the 1300s and serves as the main entrance to the church; this porch is one of only three of such a six sided design in all of England. The other interior chapels are St. Catherine’s Chapel and the Lady Chapel, the latter of which has a large filled-in door that was once used for the Ludlow fire engine at an earlier era. Exterior features include a memorial plaque to the poet A.E. Housman and the Samuel Burgess Memorial Garden. The ashes of Housman are buried in the church grounds, with the stump of a cherry tree marking their location. Above the interior stone lantern there is s splendid vault.

Contents

Above the porch on the first floor (second story in American parlance) is the Parvis room, which houses a small history museum pertinent to the church. At St. Catherine’s Chapel (the south transept) some floor-stones in the area honour recent congregation members. In the nave and aisle area, there are several noteworthy contents, including:
*The royal English coat of arms from the year 1628.
*Wall hanging: "A Shropshire Lad" located near the south door.
*The west window illustrating some of the historical figures involved with Ludlow Castle.

In the north transept is lodged the year 1764 four-manual John Snetzler organ. Originally it was located in a gallery beneath the tower. The organ was restored as of the 1980s by the Nicholson & Co (Worcester) Ltd.

References

ee also

* Crypt
* Misericord
* Stained glass window

External links

* [http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/housman.htm A.E. Housman's burial site at St Laurence Church]
* [http://www.stlaurences.org.uk/ St Laurence Church, Ludlow]
* [http://www.francismusic.co.uk/stlaurences.php Richard Francis, former Director of Music]
* [http://www.martinsetchell.jenny.co.nz/recordings-TasteofShropshire.htm CD with a Shropshire connection recorded on St Laurence's organ]