St. Lawrence, Chipping Sodbury

Introduction

The Roman Catholic Church of St Lawrence in Chipping Sodbury is a Grade II listed building, first listed on 23-Aug-2017. The church is one of the oldest free-standing churches in the diocese, founded in 1838 only nine years after the act of emancipation.

The church was built in 1838 from a converted stable, brew house and ostler's accommodation belonging to a former inn. In the early C19 the inn had been bought by Sarah Neve, the Roman Catholic wife of the Vicar of Old Sodbury, to establish the mission church.

Architecture and furnishings

Since 1928 secular clergy have been appointed at St Lawrence. The plan is an open rectangular nave with the narthex at its S end, and the sanctuary with attached sacristy at its N end. The main elevation facing the courtyard, retaining a vernacular style, is four bays wide. The entrance has a flat-arched opening with late C20 timber double replacement doors.

The three windows to the nave are set in rectangular openings with stone sills and a central keystone, and are surrounded by later brickwork, suggesting they were probably inserted when the building was converted into a church. The sacristy to the far left comprises the far right hand bay of the former ostler's accommodation, attached to the N end of the church and projecting slightly further forward into the courtyard. The entrance to the sacristy has steps leading to a doorway with a moulded stone ashlar surround, restored in the late C20.

The narthex has timber raised and fielded panelling with a dog leg stair with stick balusters, square posts and swept handrail leading to the gallery. The nave has raised and fielded panelling with white washed walls and ceiling above, though the remnants of decorative early C19 bands of stencilling in green and gold are visible on the walls. The reredos contains paintings of the four apostles flanking a gold tabernacle with crucifix above. The reredos is separated from the altar which has been moved forward, as required by Vatican II.

The altar also contains paintings, including that of the lamb of God to the centre, flanked to either side by images of white lilies. The ceiling over the nave, sanctuary and gallery contains an exposed timber king-post roof of seven bays. A door to the left of the sanctuary leads to the sacristy attached to the N, which contains early C19 raised and fielded timber painted panelling to wainscot level throughout with a projecting, fully integrated fireplace.

Parish life

The parish holds International Food evenings and sales of homemade national cakes for charity, and Polish and Czech families bring decorated food baskets to Mass at Easter to be blessed. The parish has a well-established and dedicated team of altar servers, whose contribution is celebrated each year on the Feast of St Stephen, 26th December. The parish has stewards who welcome visitors, organise the offertory procession and collectors, and count attendees at Mass.