Church of St Lawrence

St Lawrence’s Church stands in the village of Whitwell, Derbyshire, as a Grade I listed parish church of the Church of England. It began in the 12th century, with later stonework added in the 13th and 14th centuries. In 1885–86 the architect John Loughborough Pearson carried out a thorough restoration, repointing the stone, replastering walls, and installing a new pitch-pine roof. The old west gallery was removed and box pews replaced with open seating of the same timber. A heating system by Bacon and Co of London was also introduced, along with wooden-block flooring. The church holds a notable memorial to Roger Manners, who died in 1632. Its Forster and Andrews organ dates from 1872, built by the same firm that supplied many Victorian instruments. In 1890 a new clock was installed by Gillett & Johnston of Croydon, set in motion on 26 October that year. The church shares its parish with All Saints’ Church in Streetly, forming a single benefice across the two buildings. Visitors find a quiet interior of pitch-pine pews and smooth wooden floors, lit by clear windows set in ancient stone. The restored roof rises above plain plastered walls, while the memorial to Roger Manners stands in a side chapel. The Forster and Andrews organ occupies a loft at the west end, its pipes visible above the restored arcade. Outside, the churchyard holds yew and lime trees, and the 1890 clock face is set into the west gable. The village of Whitwell lies a short walk away, its lanes leading to open fields beyond.