St. Lawrence, West Woodhay, Berkshire

Description

The parish church of St. Lawrence was built in 1882-3, at a cost of £3,000, by the late W. H. Cole esq. to replace the former church, a heavy brick structure erected in 1717, close to the manor house, on the site of the original church, of which, however, no trace remained except some few architectural fragments and a quantity of encaustic tiles of an earlier building; the tiles are now in the west wall of the tower of the present church, which stands about a quarter of a mile from the manor house, is a building of flint with Bath stone dressings in the Lancet style, from the designs of Sir A. W. Blomfield A.R.A., F.S.A. and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a tower on the south side, with short spire and containing 2 bells: the chancel has a credence and sedile; all the windows in the church are stained, the east window being from a design by the late Sir E. Burne-Jones bart.; others are memorials erected in 1890 to William Henry Cole: over the communion table are three beautiful oak carvings, the work of Goyer of Louvain: there are brasses to William Henry Cole, d. 1889; and to Major-Gen. Sir Howard Crawfurd Elphinstone V.C., K.C.B., C.M.G. who was drowned at sea, off Ushant, March 8, 1890: in 1894 the nave was lengthened westward 12 feet and a vestry and organ chamber built and a stained west window erected in memory of Major William Utting Cole, who died of cholera in 1892 at Murree in India: and in 1902-3 a carved oak screen was added and the church reseated in oak: there are now 120 sittings.

Church Records

The register dates from the year 1635.