St Laurence's Church - Diddington - Huntingdonshire - This Old Church on Waymarking.com

Although mentioned in the Domesday Survey (1086), the nucleus of the present church is the chancel and nave of the first half of the 13th century, to which a north aisle was added c. 1275.
The church was much altered c. 1500, when a new south chapel was built, the clearstory added, and the north aisle remodelled with larger windows; slightly later the tower was built, together with the western angles of the nave, the western bay of the north aisle being pulled down. The south porch is later still, and in the 17th century the chancel was shortened and a yellow brick east wall built. The vestry was added c. 1865, when the chancel was restored and reroofed.
The east wall of the chancel was rebuilt in the 17th century, but the modern three-light window has inner jambs and arch of 14th-century date reused. The rest of the chancel is of mid-13th-century date. In the north wall is an original lancet now opening into the vestry, a two-light window and a small doorway of c. 1500 and the lower part of a 13th-century lancet, evidently a low-side window, is below the two-light window. In the south wall is an original lancet, a 14th-century square-headed two-light window with a transom and low-side window formed in its western light, a small 14th-century doorway and a square locker. The chancel arch is modern except part of the lower order, which is of 14th-century date reused. The roof is modern.
The 13th-century nave has a north arcade of three bays, the arches of two chamfered orders resting on three circular columns and a semicircular respond column at the east end; a former western bay has been destroyed and a plain wall of c. 1500 built in its place. The original south wall has a doorway with circular jamb shafts having moulded caps and bases; and the eastern part has been pierced with two arches of c. 1500 having two chamfered orders and resting on an octagonal column and two chamfered responds, having corbels supported on carved knots under the inner order. The clearstory, c. 1500, has three three-light windows on each side; the roof is largely modern, but has some moulded beams with jack-legs and curved braces.
The north aisle, largely of c. 1500, has a four-light east window, and two similar three-lights and a plain doorway in the north wall. In the south-east corner is an upper doorway to the rood loft. The diagonal corner buttresses are medieval, but two large brick buttresses on the north and a brick parapet are of 19th-century date.
The south chapel, c. 1500, has a blocked four-light window in the east wall, and two three-light windows in the south wall. These two windows are filled with ancient glass of various dates; the earlier portions are probably contemporary with the window, but only small parts are in situ, the rest being very badly reset and mixed with pieces of various later dates. The earlier glass contains figures of Our Lord rising from the tomb, St. Katharine and St. Margaret.
The 16th-century west tower has a tower arch of two orders, the lower one resting on attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. There is no west door, but a simple three-light window, with a singlelight window in the stage above it. The belfry windows are two-lights, and the tower, which is of red brick with stone dressings, is finished with a battlemented parapet with grotesque gargoyles at the angles.
The 16th-century south porch, which is built against the west wall of the south chapel, is of red brick plastered over. The outer archway has a fourcentred arch in a square head, and there is a two-light window in the west wall. The gable has a modernised stepped parapet, but the stringcourse is straight.
The 13th-century font has an octagonal bowl on a circular shaft with chamfered cap and base.

There are three bells, inscribed: (1) 1688; (2) Mears & Stainbank, Founders, London, 1865; (3) Disce mori n[o]tro uiuere disce sono. Jeremiah Burton, Churchwarden. J. Eayre. 1748. The first bell by J. Chandler of Drayton Parslow, Bucks; the ancient second bell was inscribed 'Cum Cum and preay Robart Bruddenel, Squire, 1595, S,' and was evidently by Watts of Leicester. There is some seating of c. 1500 in the nave, with moulded rails and traceried panels in the fronts, backs and ends; the spandrels are carved with birds, lions and grotesque beasts.
In the west tower is a 16th-century oak chest strongly bound with iron; and in the nave is a 17thcentury alms-box formed in the top of a square post fastened to a seat.
There are several brasses in the church: (1) In the nave to Alice (Forster), widow of Walter Taylard, 1513, a figure of a kneeling woman in widow's weeds, with scroll issuing from her mouth, figures of three sons at her side, and figure of Virgin and Child above, shield, quarterly argent and sable a cross paty quarterly sable and argent, for Taylard, impaling sable a cheveron ermine between three pheons argent, for Forster, and two small plates with the date 1513, inscription plate lost; (2) against the east respond of the south arcade, to William Taylard, d. 1505, and Elizabeth his wife, knight and lady kneeling at desks, with scrolls from their mouths and with inscription plate below, indents of children below, two wide panels at sides, with figures of saints under canopied niches. This brass is partly supported upon an early 16th-century altar-tomb with panelled sides and indents of shields, now lost.
Lying loose in the church is a stone carved with three shields: (1) . . . three swords erect, the centre with point in chief and the others reversed . . .;
(2) Taylard impaling Forster;
(3) Azure three roses gules.
There are monuments: In the chancel, to Henry Linton, d. 1866; in nave, war memorial, 1914–18; in north aisle, to Harriet, wife of the Rev. W. Williams, d. 1825; in south chapel, to Thomas Gillman, drowned 1717; George Thornhill, d. 1827, and Mary Ann (Hawkins), his wife, d. 1830; George Thornhill, d. 1847, and George Thornhill, d. 1868; George Thornhill, d. 1852, and Charlotte Matilda (Greene), his wife, d. 1867; George Thornhill, d. 1875, and Elizabeth Mary (Wilkinson), his wife, d. 1899.
The church plate consists of: A silver cup, paten and flagon, all hall-marked for 1879–80.

DETAILS FROM LEAFLET INSIDE CHURCH

Date the Church was built, dedicated or cornerstone laid: 01/01/1275 Age of Church building determined by?: Other reliable source If denomination of Church is not part of the name, please provide it here: Church of England If Church is open to the public, please indicate hours: From: 10:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Indicate the time that the primary worship service is held. List only one: 10:30 AM Street address of Church: St Laurence Church Diddington, Hunt's United Kingdom Secondary Website for Church or Historic Church Building: [Web Link] If Church holds a weekly worship service and "all are welcome", please give the day of the week: Not listed Primary website for Church or Historic Church Building: Not listed

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