Harpley Church History
St. Lawrence Church, Harpley, Robert Ladbrooke 1800's. The Outside of the Church. The Priests Door has a beautiful cusped and crocketted ogee arch. It is late 13th century and the steps to it are unusual being round. There is a curious inscription just to the West of this door on the wall to a child called Protestant which is probably his own composition. The low window to the West of this which is now blocked is not thought to be a leper window. Opinion is divided on this but one source maintains that the sanctus bell hung outside the Church and the sacristan sat inside this window, putting his arm through to ring the bell by a rope which hung down outside. The East window was restored in 1701. The jambs of an early window are still there and parts of the original mullions are visible in the East wall of the chancel. The crocketted gable coping above is unusual and might be a series of animals. There is a floriated cross on the East end. The vestry on the North side of the chancel was restored in 1849. The North aisle is mainly perpendicular period which is not as striking as the South aisle. The North door is decorated period. The tower at the South West corner of the Church was rebuilt in the 14th century and made capable of defence by having extremely thick walls and only slits or square headed lancets in the lower stages; these are designed to give maximum light with minimum aperture. There are 5 bells in an ancient wooden frame which has been adapted from an even older frame for 4 bells. The bells are 1. Treble cast in 1902. 2. Brasyer c 1500. 3. Thomas Newman, 1710. 4. Ellas & Thomas Brend of Norwich 1659 5. Tenor, Thomas Newman , 1731. The South Porch is early 15th century. It has 3 niches and some panelling. The figures which were in the niches were probably removed by Edward de Gurnay in the 17th century. He wrote a “Homily against images in Churches” which was published in 1639. He never wore a surplice until ordered to by the Bishop of Norwich and thereafter he always had to wear one. The interior of the porch has panelling and 2 windows on either side.
The carving at the top of the door.
Inside the Church.
![]() ![]() On the left is that great pilgrim Saint, St James and to the right is St John. It is related that he was given a goblet of poisoned wine at Ephesus,
but he blessed the cup and the poison left in the form of serpents and he was saved.
![]() The Nave. The wall seats at the West end were there before there were any other benches.
There is a fine set of 15th century open benches with pierced quatrefoil backs. Some ends have poppy heads and others are carved figures and small animals
![]() The clerestory has great 3 – light windows built at the same time as the North aisle; these are super mullioned. The nave has a flatish oak roof with carved cherubs holding shields mostly bearing the arms of Gurnay (1294 – 1332). The nave roof is arch braced of the 15th century and it has knuckles at the top instead of collars. There is a deep cornice with a series of angels. ![]() In the South aisle the East window contains some early 14th century glass and it has 5 uncusped lights. Originally each light contained a full length figure in a rich tabernacle. The SE window has modern stained glass. There is a fine graduated sedilla and double piscine with cinque-foiled arches and detached columns on the South wall. This was the original Church before the nave and chancel were added to it. Note the position of the tower with its Norman foundations in line with this aisle.
The Saints in the lower panels have unfortunately been repainted. It has double doors and fenestrations on each side with a wide entrance under a double-feathered ogee arch. It was restored in 1877 for £82.00.10d It was probably erected by Sir Robert Knowles in the 14th century. His and his wife’s arms appear on either side of the chancel entrance. (Gules on a chevron argent three roses) The screen shows the Prophets Zacharias, Isaias, Amos, Micheas (Micah), Abdias (Obadiah), Daniel, Jonas, Jeremiah, Joel, Osea(Hosea), Ezekial, Malachias. The doors show the Blessed Virgin Mary and Child with St Lawrence and St Joachim and St Anne and the child Mary.(with her parents). The rood staircase is within an internal octagonal turret entered behind the pulpit. The present East wall of the North side of the nave was probably built after the reformation because it goes straight through the rood staircase. The entrance could then have been a cupboard because the door hinges are still there.
The chancel is the best part of the Church and is early 14th century, being a fine example of the decorated period. It has 3 windows on the South side. Starting at the Western end the first one has flowing looped tracery with some old stained glass. The second one has a barbed trefoil above two lights and the third has the more usual reticulated tracery with modern glass. The 3 lights of this window are said to be identical with a window in the vestry at Merton College, Oxford, dating from 1310.
There are remains of an outstanding decorated double piscina and sedilla on the South wall with a canopy. The piscina dates from Edward 1, 1272 -1307 when it was though unseemly to wash the Mass vessels in the same bowl as the priest's hands. There is still enough detail to show how beautiful it originally was for it was much mutilated. The marks of Cromwell’s men’s picks are still there.
There is an Easter Sepulchre on the North wall and to the West of it an elaborate doorway which leads to the vestry. It has a multicusped ogee arch and nicely restored open spandrels. The battlemented pillar above and the Easter Sepulchre are both perpendicular. The Church does have 5 bells but sadly they are not all able to be rung.
![]() ![]() And finally, a relic from a bygone age.
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