Peter Hill
21 Jan 2019
“A splendid church, not without problems” – Pevsner 1968. The speaker (who led our visit to St Mary’s on 22 March 2018) explained the problems very clearly with outstanding images, beginning with a sketch from the west by William Green in 1946. Lapworth was Hliappa’s Enclosure when it was recorded on a deed of Denebright, Bishop of Worcester, in 816. By 1086 it had a plough and 3 villagers, so was very small compared to neighbouring Rowington with 8 ploughs, 27 villagers and a priest. The original Lapworth Church, comprising an aisless nave and a small chancel, was built in the late 12th century; Nicholas was Rector in 1190. Ralph Marshall was Lord of the Manor in 1182, when there were also two smaller manors (Kingswood and Broom) within the parish. The north aisle and north chapel were built c1200, but which came first ? The lowest part of the south aisle wall is pinkish stone on its inner face (as opposed to the greyer 14th century sandstone higher up). Was there a lean-to structure with a simple doorway and a font ? The latter is now, unusually, in the north aisle – the sinister side with its internal gargoyles of the seven deadly sins. Merton College, Oxford, has held the advowson since 1270, aparty from a short break when it was held by Edward I. The chancel arch was heightened in 1310-15 at the same time as Wroxall’s was increased in height.
At the west end of the church is the chantry chapel, accessed by two spiral staircases from the outside and not from within the church (until 1870). Richard de Montfort endowed this in 1373 with a priest to say mass for St Thomas-a-Becket, and to house relics givern to the church in 1277. But this building dates from the 15th century, so was it a later rebuild ? The detached tower (one of only 50 in England) on the north side dates from 1380, with the spire added c1470. In 1883 its top 12ft was damaged by a storm: the stone remained a darker colour until after 2000. There were 5 bells; 6 from 1962. The north chapel was remodelled c1466, and the clerestory and new roof added to the nave in 1470 when the outsides of the north and south aisle walls were resurfaced. As with most other churches, the rood loft was removed in the 1550s.
The Lapworth Missal (a large book 17 x 11ins of 257 pages) dates from 1398 and had been held by Corpus Christie College, Oxford, since it was gifted to them by Henry Parry, son of the Bishop of Worcester. Following its ‘discovery’ by a parishioner in 1988, Joy Woodall researched it for a talk in 1999. Whilst still denying parishioners sight of The Missal, the College presented the church with a digitalised copy in 2012. The Catesbys were Lords of the Manor 1427-1598, and during this time financed many of the alterations. On the death of Sit William, it was sold to Sir Edward Greville from who it passed to the Holtes of Aston Hall.
The church fell on hard times from the 1700s until 1807 when there was ‘an ill-advised restoration’ with box pews and a central pulpit. Further restorations followed in 1860 and 1872, both by G.E.Street, when the plaster was stripped from the walls, the west gallery removed, and the tower connected to the church. The second restoration was estimated at £800, but the out-turn was double this. In 1923 the War Memorial (designed by Edwin Reynolds) was erected in the churchyard. Its top was damaged by lightening in 1938 and never replaced. Eric Gill carved the Florence Bradshaw Memorial in the north chapel, and visited the church, in 1928.