Default Image We do not have a
Photograph at present.
Image by courtesy of
openclipart.org

St Laurence's Church,
Station Lane, DE12 8NA,
Walton on Trent, Derbyshire.

Cemeteries

This Church has (or had) a graveyard.

Note: any church within an urban environment may have had its graveyard closed after the Burial Act of 1853. Any new church built after that is unlikely to have had a graveyard at all.

Church History

This Place of Worship was founded in the 12th century, and we understand it is still open.

Kelly's Directory of 1932 records that Walton upon Trent's church was usually assigned to St John the Baptist, but in the reign of Edward III. dedicated to St Laurence. It is a building of limestone and red sandstone, consisting of chancel, nave, south aisle, south chantry, and an embattled western tower, with mutilated pinnacles, containing a clock and 3 bells. The first bell is dated 1682, the second is an early bell with an inscription in Lombardic letters, and the third is dated 1866. The only definite remains of the Norman church are a fragment of wall plate on the south aisle wall, a round-headed doorway in the north wall, and the pillars in the nave. The chancel which lost the arch between it and the nave in 1334, is Early English of the 13th century, and retains three sedilia, a piscina on the south and an almery on the north side. Three other sedilia, and a piscina remain in the spacious chantry, built by Rector Waleys in 1334. It has two fine Decorated windows on its eastern side, and beneath an arch in its south wall a stone effigy of a priest, vested, probably representing the founder. The south aisle is separated from the nave by three pointed arches. The tower is Perpendicular and bears the arms of the Ferrers, Wasteney. and Gresley families by whom it was built. The rood loft stairs still exist in the north wall.

On the chancel floor is a fine brass of Robert Morley, rector in 1492. On the pavement of the chantry are alabaster slabs with incised figures, much worn, and inscriptions to William Whitinge (1508) and Agnes Boucher (1588). The chancel also contains a mural monument with bust, of Thomas Bearcroft, rector (1680), besides floor stones to other rectors and members of their families (1617-1673). Some inscribed stones of the Ferrers family, of 17th century date, remain here also, and there are four modern stained windows. The lych gate is a memorial to the Rev. F.C. Fisher M.A. d.1899. In the churchyard is a crucifix, standing on a stone base, and erected by public subscription in memory of the men of this parish who fell in the Great War, 1914-1918. The parish records date from 1587, but the portion before 1592 is not legible.

Walton upon Trent, in 1932, was said to be a village and civil parish. The nearest station was "Barton and Walton", 1 mile west, on the Derby, Burton and Birmingham section of the London, Midland and Scottish railway, at Barton (Barton under Needwood) in Staffordshire. In this area of Derbyshire, the boundary between the two counties follows the River Trent, and is crossed here by a bridge. Walton and Barton are both small places, but in such strategic positions, on either side of the river, that if they were both a bit larger, they could be "twin towns"!

Denomination

Now or formerly Church of England.

If more than one congregation has worshipped here, or its congregation has united with others, in most cases this will record its original dedication.

Maps

This Church is located at OS grid reference SK2158818228. You can see this on various mapping systems. Note all links open in a new window:

• St Laurence's Church, Walton on Trent shown on a Google Map.
• Places of Worship in Walton on Trent shown on a Google Map.
• Streetmap.co.uk (arrow on map shows the Place of Worship's location) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Bing (Ordnance Survey option) (verified 2018-10-13)
• Bing Maps ('Bird's Eye' View) (verified 2018-10-15)
• Ordnance Survey "getamap" (NB some of the 'Change Map' options may require a subscription) (verified 2018-10-15)
• OpenStreetMap (Maps © OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA) (verified 2018-10-15)
• A Vision of Britain Through Time - useful for Boundary Changes (verified 2018-10-15)
• www.magic.gov.uk (Modern Maps with various overlays) (verified 2018-10-15)