York Historic Environment Record

Formerly known as: Tower of Old Church of St Lawrence HULL ROAD. Church tower. Late C12 with C13 alterations; top storey added C15, and C12 former north doorway of nave re-erected against east wall when nave and chancel demolished in 1881-3. Roughly squared limestone rubble, the upper stage in larger and more regular blocks. Windows of bell stage infilled with brick. Roof hidden by parapet. PLAN: square. EXTERIOR: the doorway has a semicircular arch of 4 orders: the inner order has plain voussoirs springing from moulded imposts over scalloped capitals; the second order has an interlace above 2 monsters springing from capitals also carved with monsters; the 2 outer orders are carved with formalised foliage. Behind, a semicircular rear arch springing from chamfered imposts is probably the original tower arch of the late C12. On the south side the middle stage has 2 narrow blocked chamfered openings, the upper one with a pointed head. On the west side the lowest stage has a blocked Tudor-arched window, and the middle stage has a blocked pointed window. The north side has a blocked pointed window to the middle stage. Above and below the bell stage there are moulded string courses. Gargoyles remain at the south-west and south-east corners, and the parapet is a C20 rebuilding with plain corner pinnacles. The bell opening are of 2 trefoiled lights under straight heads with hood moulds. INTERIOR: not inspected. (An Inventory of the Historical Monuments of the City of York: RCHME: Outside the City Walls East of the Ouse: HMSO: 1975-: 24-5).
Listing NGR: SE6122651303

Derived from English Heritage LB download dated: 22/08/2005

NMR:
St. Lawrence's Church was rebuilt in 1881-3, but the tower
which incorporates a 12th. cent. doorway of the older church, is
preserved in the churchyard.(2)

The tower, correctly described above, is in a good state of preservation. G.P. AO/63/111/3 shows the S.W. aspect. A cylindrical limestone shaft, broken at its head and set into the ground beside the doorway, probably represents the remains of a churchyard cross. It is not in situ.(3)

1.
5343 LAWRENCE STREET
(south side)

West Tower of the Old Church of St Lawrence (formerly listed as Tower of Old Church of St Lawrence, under Hull Road)

SE 6151 SW 23/294 14.6.54

2.
Late C12 and later. An embattled stone tower which is all that remains of the medieval parish church. Reset from the south side is a late Norman doorway. (RCHM Vol. IV, Monument 7.).(4)

SE 61235130. The remains of the medieval church of St Lawrence, located in the churchyard of the 19th century St Lawrence's Church. The earliest documented reference to St Lawrence's dates from 1194. The church was partly destroyed during the Civil War but was restored by 1699 and partly rebuilt again in 1827. In 1881-3 a replacement church was erected to the south and most of the medieval church demolished. The tower was left standing and the former north door relocated against its east side. Documentary sources show the church to be a single aisled structure with a chancel to the east and a west tower. The surviving tower is 3 storeys high and built of limestone rubble. It is mainly late 12th century in date, with some 13th century alterations. The top storey was added in the 15th century and the crenellated parapet in the 20th century. The medieval burial ground lay north and south of the church. It was cleared of tombstones in the 19th century. Part of a churchyard cross, comprising a cylindrical limestone shaft, stands against the south wall of the tower. It was moved to this position following the demolition of the medieval church. Scheduled. (5)

1 Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date) OS 1:500 1891
2 A history of Yorkshire: the city of York 355-61 edited by P M Tillott
3 Field Investigators Comments F1 RL 04-Jun-1963
4 List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest DOE (HHR) City of York 1983 169
5 Scheduled Monument Notification 24-Apr-02

NMR Related Object BF054935 ST LAWRENCE'S OLD CHURCH, YORK

Student, 2015, The old St Lawrence's Church, Lawrence St (Unpublished document). SYO1651.