Church of St Lawrence

The Church of St Laurence stands in the quiet village of Stanwick in North Northamptonshire. It is a Grade I listed building, one of the highest levels of recognition for historic structures in England. The church was originally part of the Diocese of Lincoln but moved to Peterborough in 1541 during Henry VIII’s Dissolution of the Monasteries. Its name has sometimes been recorded incorrectly as ‘St Lawrence’ instead of ‘St Laurence’, a mistake corrected in official records in 2014. The building shows layers of history in its architecture. The nave and chancel date from around 1200, with the tower, south aisle and porch added about thirty years later. The spire was completed in the early 14th century, and the chancel was rebuilt in the 15th or 16th century. The tower is octagonal but presents a square face inside to avoid disrupting the nave. A treble bell named ‘St Denys’ was cast in 1957 using metal from older bells. Inside, the porch retains its original Early English door with jamb-shafts. The chancel once had a screen and singing gallery added by Denison Cumberland in the late 18th century. A pulpit was given by John Dolben, later Bishop of Rochester, in 1778. The weathercock sits 48 metres above ground, donated in 1882. The church’s battlements and windows reflect Perpendicular style, marking centuries of careful repair and renewal.