St Laurence's Church, Reading
Encyclopedia
St Laurence's Church is a Church of England
mission
and former parish church
in the town of Reading
in the English
county of Berkshire
. It is situated alongside the site of Reading Abbey
, formerly bounded by the main Compter Gate to the south and the Hospitium of St John to the north. What was once the private chapel of the latter institution still remains in the north aisle.
St Laurence's was one of the three original parish church
es, along with St Mary's
and St Giles'
, serving the medieval
borough
of Reading. It was built to serve the people of the eastern part of the town. Its location next to the Abbey stimulated trade in that part of the town and St Laurence's soon became surrounded by a large market place which included a pillory and stocks.
The church dates from the Norman period but underwent major rebuildings in 1196, in the 15th century and in 1867. The building is of flint
with ashlar
quoin
s. The principal feature of the church is a three stage tower, built in 1458, which closes the vista to the north of Reading's old Market Place. The interior of the church contains several interesting items, including a memorial
to John Blagrave
, the 16th century English
mathematician
and a 1522 font
used for the christening of Archbishop Laud
. The church is a Grade I listed building.
In the 1970s, a declining congregation meant that the parish of St Laurence was merged with that of St Mary's. Numbers continued to decline, and at the end of the 20th century it was decided to seek a new role for the church. The interior of the church was reorganised and a modern mezzanine floor
inserted at one end of the nave
. Today it serves as a mission church
with a mandate to encourage the faith amongst young people.
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
mission
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
and former parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the town of Reading
Reading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
in the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
county of Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
. It is situated alongside the site of Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey
Reading Abbey is a large, ruined abbey in the centre of the town of Reading, in the English county of Berkshire. It was founded by Henry I in 1121 "for the salvation of my soul, and the souls of King William, my father, and of King William, my brother, and Queen Maud, my wife, and all my ancestors...
, formerly bounded by the main Compter Gate to the south and the Hospitium of St John to the north. What was once the private chapel of the latter institution still remains in the north aisle.
St Laurence's was one of the three original parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es, along with St Mary's
Reading Minster
Reading Minster, or the Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin as it is more properly known, is the oldest ecclesiastical foundation in the English town of Reading...
and St Giles'
St Giles' Church, Reading
St Giles' Church is a parish church in the town of Reading in the English county of Berkshire.St Giles' was one of the three original parish churches, along with St Mary's and St Laurence's, serving the medieval borough of Reading...
, serving the medieval
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
borough
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
of Reading. It was built to serve the people of the eastern part of the town. Its location next to the Abbey stimulated trade in that part of the town and St Laurence's soon became surrounded by a large market place which included a pillory and stocks.
The church dates from the Norman period but underwent major rebuildings in 1196, in the 15th century and in 1867. The building is of flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
with ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
quoin
Quoin (architecture)
Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...
s. The principal feature of the church is a three stage tower, built in 1458, which closes the vista to the north of Reading's old Market Place. The interior of the church contains several interesting items, including a memorial
Memorial
A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person or an event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or art objects such as sculptures, statues or fountains, and even entire parks....
to John Blagrave
John Blagrave
John Blagrave was an English mathematician.He was probably born in the vicinity of Reading in 1561, to John Blagrave of Bulmershe Court at Earley and his wife, Anne, daughter of Sir Anthony Hungerford of Down Ampney in Gloucestershire...
, the 16th century English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and a 1522 font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
used for the christening of Archbishop Laud
William Laud
William Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633 to 1645. One of the High Church Caroline divines, he opposed radical forms of Puritanism...
. The church is a Grade I listed building.
In the 1970s, a declining congregation meant that the parish of St Laurence was merged with that of St Mary's. Numbers continued to decline, and at the end of the 20th century it was decided to seek a new role for the church. The interior of the church was reorganised and a modern mezzanine floor
Mezzanine (architecture)
In architecture, a mezzanine or entresol is an intermediate floor between main floors of a building, and therefore typically not counted among the overall floors of a building. Often, a mezzanine is low-ceilinged and projects in the form of a balcony. The term is also used for the lowest balcony in...
inserted at one end of the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
. Today it serves as a mission church
Mission (Christian)
Christian missionary activities often involve sending individuals and groups , to foreign countries and to places in their own homeland. This has frequently involved not only evangelization , but also humanitarian work, especially among the poor and disadvantaged...
with a mandate to encourage the faith amongst young people.