Church of St Laurence, Priddy

The Church of St Laurence is an active Anglican church in the diocese of Bath and Wells, in Somerset. The Grade I listed buildingStructure of particular architectural and/or historic interest deserving of special protection. dates from the 13th century, with some rebuilding work carried out during the 15th century.^[1] The church was dedicated to St Laurence on 10 August 1352,^[2] and is surrounded by a circular churchyard which predates the building.^[3]

By the 19th century the church was in a bad state of repair. During the subsequent extensive restoration work, a memorial stone commemorating earlier repairs carried out following the Great Storm of 1703 was discovered.^[2]

Architecture and contents

The church is constructed using carboniferous limestone,^[4] and has a naveCentral part of a church, used by the laiety., chancelPart of a church containing the altar, used by the officiating clergy., north aisle, north and south transeptsPart of a Christian church crossing the area between the nave and the chancel, forming a characteristic cruciform shape. and a south porch. The three-stage west tower is supported by diagonal buttresses,^[5] and houses six bells.^[6]

The interior includes a 15th-century roodScreen separating the chancel from the nave, typically in late medieval Christian churches. and parclose screens, and a stone pulpit at the remains of the rood stair; the baptismal font is Norman. The pews and other woodwork were all renewed in the 19th century.^[5] A silver-gilt chalice from 1573, owned by the church, is kept in a bank vault. A 15th-century altar frontal of irises on Italian brocade is now preserved in a glass case.^[2]