Church of St Lawrence, Chobham

St Lawrence is an active Anglican church in the villageSmall rural collection of buildings with a church. of Chobham, Surrey. It is in the Archdeaconry of Surrey, the Deanery of Surrey Heath and the Diocese of Guildford, and is a member of the BeneficeOriginally used in feudal societies to describe a grant of land as a reward for services rendered. In modern usage it refers to a collection of parishes working together under a single incumbent. of Chobham with Valley End.^[1]

The church is of 12th-century origin. The south aislePart of a church on either side of the nave or choir, separated from them by arcades, colonnades or piers. More generally, a passageway between seats in an auditorium, shelves in a supermarket and so on. was added during the 15th century and the west porchVestibule before the main entrance to a Christian church, less sacred than the church proper. in the 16th century. The church was restored and the north aisle added by Benjamin Ferrey in 1866, and the chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy. and south transeptPart of a Christian church crossing the area between the nave and the chancel, forming a characteristic cruciform shape. were added in 1898.^[2]

St Lawrence was designated a Grade I listed buildingStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection. in 1955.^[2]

Architecture

The tower is built of heathstone. There is puddingstone and heathstone chequer work to the south aisle, and puddingstone cladding and heathstone quoiningAny external angle or corner of a structure. to the chancel. Extensions to the northeast are built of brick. Plain tiled roofs sweep down over the south aisle, with Horsham slab eaves courses.^[2]

The interior has a stone floor and four-bay naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety. arcadesSeries of arches carried on piers, columns or pilasters. Also used to denote a covered avenue with shops on one or both sides.. The fittings largely date from the 20th century, but there is a 17th-century wooden font, one of only three surviving in Surrey. Memorials include one to Anthony Thomas on the south chancel wall, dated 1723, and another on the north chancel wall dedicated to Sir William Abdy, who died in 1803.^[2]

Organ

Only the pipe facade of the original organ, installed in 1890, remains; it was replaced by an electronic device in 2005.^[3]