St. Laurence Adwick - The Interior

A fragment of salvaged masonry with a detail of an owl

When undertaking my exploration of the mediaeval churches in and around South Yorkshire, solely by public transport, the frequency, timings and routes of the bus and train services have often placed practical limits on the time that I have to survey the fabric of the church.

The font

Starting in my home village, Treeton, and working my way around Rotherham, I have often been able to revisit churches on multiple occasions but, the further I travel, the more I become reliant on making a comprehensive photographic record and then examining the high resolution images and researching documentation online, when back at home.

A view from the chancel to the tower arch

At St. Laurence’s church, as at All Saints church in Laughton-en-le-Morthen, I was also conscious of taking up the keyholder’s time and I would have liked to been able to undertake a thorough professional survey – like at All Saints church in Pontefract, for example.

A view of the arcade between the nave and the north aisle

Once inside the church, I was a bit disappointed to see that the walls to the aisles and the nave were covered in plaster - having noted various features in the external masonry that have considerable archaeological interest.

A general view of the arcades and arches

The arches to the arcade to the north aisle, the tower, the chancel and the north chapel, however, still have bare masonry that provide clues to its construction history. For example, above the C14 arcade with octagonal columns, the size of the shape of the blocks changes and this continues into the C13 arcade to the north chapel, with its quatrefoil profile columns.

The north-east corner of the chancel and the north chapel

These alterations generally coincide with changes that can be seen on the exterior below the eaves. In the chancel, the bare brickwork above the east window has been considered to be the product of one of the phases of Victorian restoration and, very probably, the masonry above the arcades was altered when the nave roof was reconstructed in the C15.

A view of the south wall to the chancel

From an archaeological point of view, the chancel is the most interesting part of the church. The bare stonework to the south wall displays the remains of two round headed Norman windows at each end, which have been replaced by Perpendicular Gothic style windows,  a blocked Norman door and a round arched sedilia.

A view of the offset chancel arch

Other features of interest are the offset position of the C14 chancel arch, which springs on the north side from the easternmost column of the arcade - which also supports the arch to the north chapel. Also, the arcade to the chapel has a strange partial bay at its west end and the central column is noticeably out of plumb.

The out of plumb column in the north chapel arcade

Various memorials are scattered throughout the church, with the chest tombs in the chapel being the most substantial. Of these, the most impressive is that dedicated to John Washington, his wife Margaret and their children. Incised into alabaster, the figure of John contains the family crest, which interestingly consists of stars and stripes and, according to legend, the American flag is based on it.

The John Washington tomb