The Parish Church of St. Mary and St. Lawrence is a Grade II listed building. (
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It is situated in the centre of the village of Cauldon and of its widespread parish which includes Cauldon Lowe and part of Waterhouses.
There has been a church on the site since the 12th Century, although the present building dates from 1786 whilst incorporating some earlier remains. The building material is local stone from the quarry at Cauldon Low.
The church consists of a nave, chancel and north aisle with square piers (rebuilt in 1926) incorporating a Lady Chapel. There is a vestry adjoining the tower to the north and a porch was added in 1885.
The most notable feature of the church is an altar made of stone blocks taken from different quarries in the parish. Source: (
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The churchyard with many old gravestones surrounds the small church. The graveyard around the church is full (
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There is an section of Cauldon Parish Church graveyard set aside for members of the Welsh community, who worked at the Cauldon Lowe quarries and lived mainly at Stoney Lane. (
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There are two listed tombs located in the churchyard.
Thomas Harvey Memorial.
This is Grade II listed it is approximately 20 yards south of west tower of Church of St. Mary and St. Lawrence.
"GV Chest tomb. Thomas Harvey, died 1780. Ashlar. Rectangular plan.
Fluted corner pilasters, and cap with moulded edge and inlaid slate
inscription slab." (
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Memorial Triple Chest Tomb
This is a Grade II listed tomb, located approximately one
- yard south of nave of Church of St. Mary and St. Lawrence.
"Triple chest tomb. Probably C18. Ashlar. Rectangular plan. T he
sides and ends have square panels with moulded edges and raised centres; slightly oversailing cap with moulded edge and inlaid slate inscription slab, now illegible." (
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A report written in the BBC Domesday Reloaded in 1986, describes the church as follows;
"The Church serves Cauldon and Cauldon Lowe and is dedicated to St. Mary and St. Lawrence. There has been a church here since the twelfth century but, after a fire in the 1700's, it was rebuilt in the 1780's. There are three bells which were cast in the Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London and the bells are rung when there is a service. Today the beautiful old church is faced with a large restoration programme as the roof needs repairing and the whole church needs re-wiring. The church is surrounded by many old gravestones but there is now a new graveyard as the old one is full. There is one priest who is responsible for Cauldon along with Calton, Grindon and Waterfall. He is in charge of all the parishes and arranges the services for all four churches." (
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A photograph of the church in 1920 can be seen at the following link. (
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