The church is
dedicated to Saint Laurence, one of the very early Christian martyrs. Churches
to this former deacon of Rome are often a sign of ant earlier Christian
community in the area. Whether or not that is the case, the medieval historian
William of Malmesbury records that the church here existed in the 1120s.
William thought that it dated back to the time of the 8th century and that it was built by St Aldhelm. Aldhelm, of the royal house of Wessex, was the bishop of Sherborne and, after his death in 709, his body was known to have been brought to Bradford on Avon, maybe for burial in his church. That is possible, though the present building, from its architectural style, looks to be from the 10th century, which would fit a tradition that the church was intended to house to remains of King Edward the Martyr, the older brother of King Ethelred, who was murdered in 978, though Edward ended up buried in Shaftesbury Abbey.
The building is
very tall for its size and decorated with arcades, similar in style to those
seen above on Bosham church as represented on the Bayeux Tapestry. It has few windows and
these are small, while the doorways are tall and narrow. In Anglo-Saxon times the interior would have
been lit by candles. This sounds plain but there is evidence of decoration
around the doorways and in the plinth running around the walls. It’s probable
that the now whitewashed walls were painted, and in bright colors. This would
have given the church an impression of a jewel,
a very suitable spot for the resting place of a martyr king. Other decoration includes two stone angels, discovered
in the east wall of the nave, and a stone bowl, which is now used as a font.
The church is
important to show how the Anglo-Saxons viewed religious buildings as enclosed
yet airy sacred spaces, a great contrast with the larger Anglo-Norman churches
that came later. It reminds me of a sacred version of an Anglo-Saxon great hall,
an intimate and companionable space for worship.
You can read about Anglo-Saxon and early Norman society in my novels, "The Snow Bride" and
In my novels "Sir Conrad and the Christmas Treasure" and "Dark Maiden" I
show the vital role the church played in village life.
show the vital role the church played in village life.
Lindsay Townsend
Lovely post. Thank you for introducing us to this beautiful church.
ReplyDeleteNo modern church can compare with the feelings I had while I stood inside a eight-century-old church in Soest, Germany, where we were stationed years ago. The chilled damp that breathed off the rough, stone walls, the hush. We have beautifully preserved churches where I live, and I love the jewelled light created by the sun streaming through the high arched windows, and the smell of old wood, but it's still not like my first visit to a really old church. I loved reading your post and the wonderful research you did into the church's history.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Christine and Elizabeth! I agree, Elizabeth, about the wonder of ancient churches and other ritual sites
ReplyDelete