St Laurence’s Church,

Adwick-le-Street

Statement of Significance

October 2013

www.adwick-st-laurence.co.uk

This is the Statement of Significance for:

St Laurence Church, in the Parish of Adwick-le Street

in the Benefice of St Laurence, Adwick-le-Street with St Michael and All Angels Skelbrooke

in the Diocese of Sheffield

Location: Church Lane, Doncaster DN6 7HG South Yorkshire

In the Metropolitan District of Doncaster

OS Grid Reference: SE5409808601 OS Grid Coordinates: 454098, 408601 Latitude/Longitude: 53.5712, -1.1845

Grade: II* Date Listed: 19 October 1962

English Heritage Building ID: 334873

The church stands in a conservation area

and tree preservation orders apply to trees in the churchyard. LOCATION MAP

Part I: The church in its urban / rural environment. 1.1 The Setting of the Church

St Laurence’s is a well known and well loved landmark. It sits in the village surroundings of Adwick-le-Street opposite the local park which was the site of the home to the Washington family whose tomb is in the church. (The Elizabethan mansion was dismantled in 1864) The mature trees of the churchyard and park provide a picturesque setting and are subject to tree preservation orders. There is the stump of an ancient cross in the churchyard which is also a scheduled ancient monument (Grade II EH reference 334874) The cholera memorial (Grade II EH reference 334875) on the exterior east wall of the church is of considerable interest locally and is also a landmark on the round Britain Motorcycle Rally. A local custom of the “evil eye” associated with the monument is still widely known by generations of Adwick residents. Adwick-le-Street was designated a conservation area in January 1992. The Doncaster Council entry is as follows:

“The conservation area is based on the old settlement located around the church of St. Lawrence. It is linear in character and stretches along Village Street with a spur along Church Lane; the latter was the main road to Carcroft before the village centre was bypassed by the building of Doncaster Lane. To either side of the built up areas that make up the 'main street' are two green areas, that to the west being the recreational open space of The Park and to the east is an open field to the mill leat. There are several archaeological sites within these green areas, including the site of Adwick Hall within The Park.

Limestone was the traditional material, which is rendered on some buildings, but there is also some brick. Principle roof materials are slate and clay pantiles. Limestone boundary walls are an important and extensive feature of the conservation area. The conservation area is well endowed with mature trees particularly in The Park.”

Within the conservation area there are 4 listed structures (St Laurence Church, the Cross remains, the Cholera Memorial and the Watermill on Mill Lane).

1.2 : The living churchyard The churchyard is a pleasant and well kept space where local people enjoy visiting and sitting. The churchyard is closed to burials but has two areas where cremated remains are interred. A new memorial was placed in 2011 to mark the area for cremated remains at the Village Street side of the church. This was commissioned and paid for by church members and the public and the design and carving was done by John Shaw MA FRSA. Within the churchyard there are three war commission graves, two from the first World War and a third from the second World War.

1.3: Social History Adwick-le-Street derives its name from the Great North British Roman routeway, Ermine Street which roughly follows the route of the present A1. The earliest signs of settlement are from Roman times and there is evidence of a Viking settlement but this is long before the church was built. The reference in the Domesday book, dating from around the time the church was built indicates a feudal society of some 12 villagers and 11 small holdings. The reference in the Domesday Book Survey, 1086, which is believed to relate to the village, states:

"In Adewinc Sueen and Gluncier and Archil had six carucates of land to be taxed. Roger (de Busli) has now 2 ploughs there, and 12 villeins and 11 bordars with 5 ploughs and 9 acres of meadow and a small wood. Value in Edward's time 40s. now the same."

This places Adwick as a small rural community around a manor house with Fulk de Lisours holding the manor as tenant of Roger, together with the manors of Frickley and Marr. No mention is made of a church here in Domesday Book but as the survey was notoriously incomplete on ecclesiastical matters it is by no means certain that a place of worship did not exist at Adwick in Saxon times. Any such church building is likely to have been of wood. The traditional foundation date of the Norman Church is c. 1150, during the troubled reign of King Stephen and within an era of feverish church building which included the Priory at Hampole. St Laurence’s church was used by the Cistercian nuns at Hampole priory. It remained in the possession of the priory until the suppression of religious houses in 1539. The size of the village grew slightly through medieval times. From the seventeenth century, the village had no resident squire, and by the early nineteenth century, Adwick Hall, the seat of the lord of the manor, was in ruins. However, between 1791 and 1795, a new mansion house, Woodlands Hall, was built by Thomas Bradford of Alverley Grange..Throughout the nineteenth century, the population of the parish, (again, like most others in the Doncaster area) had been low and essentially static. The first census of 1801 recorded 284 residents, rising to a high of 434 in 1841. This was followed (yet again a common trend locally) by decline over the next sixty years, reaching 294 by 1901. Like many villages in the Doncaster area, the character of Adwick le Street changed considerably in the early years of the twentieth century following the arrival of coal mining. A small rural community suddenly found itself acquiring a different appearance, a greatly increased population and an altered employment base. A new housing estate, Woodlands, was built by the Brodsworth Main colliery company, an influx of mine workers and their families arrived from other parts of the country and mining replaced agriculture as the main source of employment. The sinking of Brodsworth Main colliery in 1905 began the transformation of the parish. By 1911, Adwick le Street Urban District (a larger area that the old parish) had a population of nearly seven thousand and by 1921 it had grown to nearly twelve thousand. The colliery company created a 'model' village to house its employees,

commissioning a pioneering garden suburb from Percy Hufton, a Chesterfield architect. The houses were designed in cottage-style and given in a semi-rural setting of lawns and trees. Its imaginative layout contrasts favourably with the bleak, straight terraces of Denaby Main, a neighbouring colliery village built between the 1870s to the 1900s.The cost was, however, deterred the colliery company from further building of this kind, and at nearby Highfields, its next venture into house-building, the company followed less imaginative plans. Woodlands church was opened in 1913 and the new parish of woodlands made out of the east end of Adwick parish incorporating much of the new housing. In the 1960s to 1980’s the old housing in the north part of Adwick were demolished and new estates were developed around Lutterworth Drive. These were semi-detatched privately owned homes. Further development in the 1990’s formed the estate locally known as the ‘Bird’ estate because of the street names. These are mainly prestigious detatched homes, which are designed to attract commuters due to the closeness of the A1. A significant proportion of the occupants of these newer homes are people with family connections to Adwick. The present day parish boundary includes these newer estates and the traditional terraces of woodlands east. SIGNIFICANT PERSONALITIES AND EVENTS Adwick has been home to some characters of national and international significance. These are stories which need to be told more effectively and widely in the local community. RICHARD ROLLE, Richard Rolle was a hermit and spiritual writer who lived from about 1300 until 1349 and spent the latter years of his life at the priory in Hampole. He is commemorated in the Anglican calendar on 20th.January. The historian, the Revd. Joseph Hunter, in his "History of the Deanery of Doncaster", published in 1828 wrote the following brief summary of the life of the Yorkshire Hermit and mystic, Richard Rolle:

"Few persons who have written so much have left so few memorials of themselves. All that appears to be of certainty known respecting him is that sometime about the beginning of the reign of Edward III Richard withdrew himself from a world whose manners he was disgusted by and devoted himself to a life of austerity and divine meditation in a cell not far from the monastery of Hampole and he continued this mode of life till his death in 1349".

Richard Rolle is regarded as the first English mystic trying, through prayer and meditation, to bring his soul to fullest communion with God. He was amongst the very first to write in the English Language of his times and was the author of many books on devotional themes. His most famous work "The Fire of Love", written in English prose at a time when most scholars wrote in Latin, gave to ordinary people of his day access to a clearer understanding of God's love.

After his death in 1349, possibly as a result of the Black Death, which reduced England's population by one-third, the nuns of Hampole sought unsuccessfully to have Richard created a saint. Had they succeeded this would have brought enormous prestige to their priory. Nonetheless Richard's fame persisted after his death, and his tomb, provided by a local admirer, became a place of pilgrimage. The many reports of miracles of healing that were believed to have occurred there indicate the considerable affection in which he was regarded by the inhabitants of the local villages and nearby towns. Today, there continues to be considerable interest in him and several pilgrimages have been received at the church in recent years. Scholars are continuing to research and comment on his work both in the UK and overseas as is shown by the number of recent publications and journals and books. The spirituality of Richard Rolle abides and gives inspiration to twenty-first century Christians. ROBERT PARKYN. Robert Parkyn was a Priest of the Parish Church of Adwick-le-Street 1541 – 1569. Of particular value to historians of the Tudor period are the first-hand accounts of a contemporary of Reformation in the English Church. He was almost certainly a chaplain to the nuns of Hampole at the time of its suppression. He vigorously condemned the proposals by the Earl of Essex for the policy and later actions of Henry VIII. Parkyn wrote:

(In) "1539 all was suppressed furiously underfoot and many abbots and other virtuous religious persons shamefully was put to death in diverse places of this realm. And all this ungraciousness came through the counsel of one wretch and heretic, Thomas Crunwell."

Amongst his many literary contributions to the learning of his day are included transcripts of the writings of Richard Rolle and "a Narrative of the Reformation". Robert Parkyn was a survivor who managed to retain his living through the reigns of four Tudor Monarchs from Henry VIII to Elizabeth I using both Latin Mass and the English Book of Common Prayer. We are much indebted to his detailed records of the effects of the turbulent years of the Reformation on a small Yorkshire Parish seen through the eyes of a priest who spent most of his ministry here in Adwick. The story of Robert Parkyn can bring to life the effect of the reformation in our community and it is supported by the discovery of hidden altar tops during renovations this century. Hearing these stories prompts reflection on the changes in church life today and the predicament of Christians facing persecution and intolerance today. JAMES WASHINGTON The tomb of James Washington is a significant feature in the church. James has the same ancestry as George Washington who became the first president of the united States of America, Considerable interest arises out of the fact that the family coat of arms displayed on the tomb is of stars and stripes which, legend says inspired the design of the American flag.

The history of this Tudor family is researched by local historians but not well told in the community. It is interesting because it tells of the local impact of the Civil war. James Washington was Lord of the manor in Adwick in the middle of the sixteenth century. He built Adwick Hall which stood in the Park opposite the church and was the family home for over a century. The family were Royalist during the Civil War and Jame’s grandson, also called James was a Lt Col in the King’s Army was killed at the second ceige of Pontefract. Their home was confiscated for a time and in 1712 the family sold the estate.

CHOLERA OUTBREAK In 1832 there was an outbreak of Cholera in Doncaster and parish record show that five residents of Hampole died in July 1832. The parish council looked at ways of preventing disease and set up a medical committee to help. There is a memorial stone in the churchyard showing the number of deaths. Local historians have gathered information on this episode in Doncaster’s history and the church’s witness to the events is important. The monument has God's seeing eye carved at top above weathered inscription which reads:

THIS STONE WAS ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE OF ADWICK-LE-STREET AS A MEMORIAL OF THAT SEVERE PESTILLANCE THE CHOLERA WHICH IN THE MONTH OF JULY 1832 WITH FEARFUL SUDDENESS DESTROYED FIVE OF THE INHABITANTS OF HAMPOLE.

A well known local custom, continuing to be told today, alleges that having touched the ‘eye’ inscribed in the monument it is necessary to run three times around the church for protection. This monument is a also way mark on the Round Britain Motorbike Rally.

1.4: The church building in general A DESCRIPTION OF THE CHURCH

English Heritage listing information The church of St Laurence dates from the twelfth Century C12, C with major additions and alterations in the fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries. It was restored between 1862 and 1875. The building is of rubble and ashlar limestone, with stone slate roof. It has a 2-stage west tower, 3-bay nave with south porch and north aisle, the 2-bay chancel is narrower with north chapel and a vestry.

THE TOWER. This is a late 15th century addition to the church, built of limestone ashlar blocks, and extends into the body of the Norman nave by largely replacing the West wall of the earlier church. The lower stage of tin-tower below the string course has a fine early perpendicular style West window which lights the ringing chamber. The ashlar of the section above the string course is of a different quality from that of the lower

section and indicates perhaps a Victorian re-building. Inside the church, the tower is carried on a fine 15th century arch which displays mason marks similar to ones found at All Saints, Arksey, in the South Aisle there. Outside, the tower is supported by two diagonal buttresses of the same date as the tower.

English Heritage listing information : Perpendicular; chamfered plinth and moulded band, diagonal buttresses to lower stage. West side has pointed 3-light window in chamfered surround beneath clock; string course with image niche; cusped iron clockface on south side; louvred, cusped 2-light belfry openings with pointed arches beneath string course with gargoyles; embattled parapet with crocketed pinnacles (1 missing).

THE BELLS AND CLOCK The belfry contains a peel of six bells. The oldest, having an inscription Soli Deo Gratia, and dated 1633, is one of three known to have existed in 1897, the other two being recast. A further three were added at the time of Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897. One of these new bells is inscribed "John Henry Smith gave me; John Taylor made me", and another is known to have been given by the then Rector, Rev. E. S. de Courcy Ireland, and his wife. An eight-day clock was purchased for £40 in 1862 replacing an earlier one, possibly of pre 1777. The South clock face was designed by Gilbert Scott. The mechanism of 1862 was replaced in 1973 with an electric mechanism and a clock face added to the West face of the tower.

THE NAVE.

From the porch, entry to the nave is through the original round-headed Norman south doorway, plain in style and much restored in modern times. The stonework is still subject to heavy erosion. The wooden doors are modern. Above the doorway is a 14th century niche which once held a carved figure, probably the Virgin and Child. The Nave seems to be unaltered in size from its Norman foundation, its original length extending from the Western wall to the East wall behind the pulpit. The walls to the South and North appear to contain much Norman masonry but no longer in original courses. These walls were seemingly largely rebuilt in the 14th century when new windows in the decorated style {Y tracery) were inserted in the South wall. In the

early 14th century an arcade of three octagonal piers was built to replace the North wall for the addition of the North Aisle. The Easternmost pier carries not only one end of the 14th century Chancel arch, strangely off-centre with the Nave, but also supports the Eastern-most arcade arch and the arch for the North Chapel. The intention may have been to extend the Nave eastwards at a later date (as at Owston) which could explain the unusual arrangement of a pier carrying three-arches. It may be that this work was halted by the Black Death.

The Nave roof is possibly at its original height. The roof trusses at extreme-ends are original 14th century but the three inner ones are modern (1967) copies of the earlier ones. The carved heads in the roof spars appear to be part of the 14th century roof timbers. On the South wall there is a corbel, carved in the shape of a sheep's head, which once carried the roof supports. On the West wall hangs a funery hatchment, which is believed to be of John White (d. 1837) and which formerly hung in the North Chapel, restored (1846) by the widow of John White. A gallery which had been erected against the West wall some time after the Reformation was removed in 1862. At the same time the old box pews were replaced by the present pews and a new pulpit installed. All this carpentry was the work of Alexander Clark, whose workshop lay behind the former post office on the corner of Church Lane.

The font, which had been relocated from near a now-blocked North Doorway in 1835 to a central position in front of the tower door, was in 1999 returned to its original position after removal of two Victorian pews from the aisle. At the same time the floor area in front of the tower vestry steps was repaired, the Victorian floor tiles, given in 1875 by Thomas Walker, having broken up owing to subsidence of the ground.

English Heritage Listing information Nave: South wall encased in 1875 with chamfered plinth and broad buttresses; half-timbered porch of same date encloses C12 south doorway with single order of columns within pier projections, hoodmould and cusped image niche over. Bays 2 and 3 have renewed 3-light windows with intersecting tracery beneath gables which rise above offsets of encasing wall; plain parapet. C15 north wall of large ashlar blocks has chamfered plinth, moulded band, buttresses between bays and diagonal west buttress. Blocked, square-headed north door beneath uncusped, square-headed window of 3 Tudor-arched lights, similar windows to other bays; aisle east window has hoodmould. Interior: Treble-chamfered, pointed tower arch. Early C14 north aisle arcade with octagonal piers and matching west respond, moulded capitals and 3 double-chamfered pointed arches. Restored C15 nave roof with shallow principal-rafter trusses with cusped stud infill, the end trusses set on short posts with half-octagonal colonnettes; 2 purlins to each slope with mask bosses at each truss and foliate bosses to ridge.

THE NORTH AISLE. The North Aisle was erected some time early in the 14th century but the fabric we see now is due mainly to the rebuilding operations of the over-restoration in the 19th century when the North Door was blocked (visible outside). (It was always easier to make any required extensions to a church on its North side rather than the South since superstitions associated with the devil made it traditionally unacceptable to place burials in the shadow of the church) The aisle is lit by four straight-headed windows in the perpendicular style, possibly Victorian copies of originals. Beneath the small Western-most window is located the blocked-up doorway sealed in 1835. The War Memorial commemorating the people of the parish who died in WW1 and WW2 is mounted on a black marble slab on the north wall. CHANCEL Much of the existing fabric is original indicating that the chancel occupies the position of the first (Norman) building. In the South wall can be seen the built-up remains of two round-headed Norman windows. Beneath one is a blocked priests doorway. The door is still in position on the exterior. The doorway was probably used for the ringing of the Sanctus bell during mass to alert worshippers who were within the churchyard. A straight-headed window of late perpendicular design cuts into the masonry of the former Norman window beside the chancel arch wall. Note part of an incised coffin lid (13th C.) re-used as a lintel over this window. Near the East wall slight remains of the second Norman window are incorporated into a strait-headed, perpendicular

style window. The pointed window is also of perpendicular style. All the windows of the Chancel appear to be Victorian restorations of the originals. Victorian, certainly, is the East window above the altar, but the oculus (round) window high on the East wall may well be the Norman original. The brickwork on the upper section is possibly of the time of the partial restoration of the Chancel in 1895 by the Rev. de Courcy Ireland, Rector.

Points of interest in the Chancel include the double sedilia, stone seats used by priests during celebration of mass before the Reformation. The stonework of these seats is almost certainly part of the original building as indicated by the remains of a string course (projecting stones) above the sedilia and which formerly would have continued round the other walls of the Chancel (see also the North Chapel).

There is a piscina with drain hole where the chalice and patten used in Communion services were washed in pre-Reformation days. This piscina is much altered from early medieval form to fit in the space left after insertion of the 15th century window. The floor of Victorian tiles belongs to the paving of the entire church in 1875 at the expense of Thomas Walker J.P. who

resided at 'Woodlands', a house overlooking Highfields lake and now a club house. A Chancel screen was placed here in 1913. The earlier 15th century oak screen was removed either at the time that rood lofts were taken down (by Royal Order of 1561) or during the Commonwealth period. An altar and reredos were given in 1904 by the Whightman family in memory of their parents; the brass memorial plates are inside the sedilia. The Chancel received its oak roof in 1962.

The chancel was re-ordered in 2002, removing the chancel screen (installed 1913) and reredos (c1894) and making a new altar, altar rails and aumbry. The architect for this work was Ronald Sims and is characteristic of his wood and ironwork designs. During this work excavations under the sanctuary revealed three graves of former clergy and two stone mensas probably hidden during the reformation. The larger mensa has the characteristic 5 inscribed crosses and a possible reliquary and its discovery inspired the design of a new altar to re-use the mensa. The Victorian tiles behind the altar were uncovered when the reredos was moved and restored. They show the symbols of the evangelists.

Chancel: English Heritage description This is lower than nave and there is clear evidence of various historical adaptations. Chamfered, square-headed south priests' door beneath section of dripcourse; to west, a 2-light window with shouldered heads; to east, a pointed 2-light window with geometrical tracery and a square-headed window of 2 ogee lights, the latter flanked on left by a slender flat buttress and on right by ashlar walling with diagonal east buttress. String course steps down beneath east window with geometrical tracery and hoodmould; oculus to coped gable. C13 north chapel has slender buttresses flanking and beneath 2 lancet windows and has vesica in coped gable. North wall has lancet window and blocked, square-headed window on left of gabled vestry. Chancel interior: There is a broad, double-chamfered chancel arch (the north end set on a pier as aisle); double-chamfered arch from aisle to chapel. 2-bay chapel arcade with quatrefoil pier and matching responds to double-chamfered arches, also a half-arch to west. Chancel south wall to west has left jamb and the head of a C12 window with blocked priest's door on its left. 2-seat sedilia with central shaft and restored round arches. C20 chancel roof.

THE NORTH CHAPEL - The Lady Chapel.

This Chapel, built in the early 13th century, originally may have been a chantry chapel dedicated to St. Catherine. An entry in a survey of Chantries in the County of York (1546) reads –

"The Chantry of St. Katherine in the Parish of Athewyke by the Street Peter Skott (Chantry Priest) .... of the foundation of Richard Cusworth .... to pray for the soule of the founder and all Christen Soules, and to do divine service in the quere” (choir - meaning possibly chan

The building of the chapel necessitated the removal of the North Wall of the Chancel which was replaced by a two-bay arcade, with pointed arches meeting on a pier of four cylindrical columns surmounted by a quatrefoil abacus. The columns and wall responds of the arches still bear marks of infilling of sockets where once were mounted wooden screens removed at the Reformation when Chantries were dissolved. The distinct lean of the pier between the arches may be related to the near collapse of this area of the church in the 16th century due to neglect. The two lancet windows of the East wall and the North wall are original, as also is the oculus window matching that of the chancel. The stained glass inserted in the East windows in 1943 depicting the life of St. Francis was designed by J. E. Nuttgens was given by Helen Carter.

Of special interest in the Chapel are the three altar tombs of mid-fifteenth to sixteenth century; that under the Eastern arch between the Chapel and Chancel deserves particular attention. The incised alabaster slab is a memorial to James Washington (d.1580), his wife Margaret and their children. Cut into the slab is the figure of a gentleman dressed in Elizabethan fashion with the arms of the Washington family inscribed upon the breast. The figure representing his wife is outlined beside him and she displays the coat of arms of the Anlaby family. The site of the Elizabethan mansion, home to the

Washington’s and dismantled in 1864, lay across the road from the church where now is the bowling green. The stars and stripes of the Washington family coat of arms on the slab and repeated on the tomb sides were to be seen here long before they became the familiar feature of the flag of the United States of America. When first installed the tomb would have presented a very colourful sight with all the coats of arms brightly picked out in colour. A tomb placed to the right of the altar and dated 1470 is a memorial to John Fitz-William and Amicia his wife. The centre of the stone slab has the following inscription:

Sic testes, Christe, quod non jacet lapis iste, Corpus ut ornetur, sed spiritus ut memoretur. (Witness, O Christ, it is not a stone which is here to honour the body, but that a soul may be remembered.)

The third tomb of 1590 is a memorial to Leonard Wray and his wife Ursula whose family seat was at Cusworth. There are other memorial stones in the floor of the Chapel and on the North wall. The North chapel (Lady Chapel) was restored in 2002 at the same time as the chancel and the smaller mensa discovered during the work has been set in the floor. Three tomb lids were also found in the excavations of 2002 and these have been set in the floor of the chapel. Three panels from the chancel reredos (depicting the ascension of Christ, St Stephen and St. Laurence) have been bleached and mounted behind the new altar in the Lady Chapel to good effect. The chancel screen (removed in 2002) now provides a screen to the organ in the north chapel. New stained glass was inserted in the window of the north wall to the chapel in 2006. The window depicts St Cecilia and is in memory of Lyn Coleman, former organist of St Laurence’s.

Monuments: English Heritage description Cross-slab fragments in chancel floor. Tomb chest beneath east bay of chapel arcade to James Washington with shields above chamfered plinth and alabaster top, dated 1579, depicting him on his wife's left above 12 named children; Another tomb in north-east corner of chapel to Leonard Wray with date 1590; a third in southeast corner with shields in quatrefoils and much inscription. Early C19 monuments on north wall of chapel including plaque in columned aedicule to John White of Doncaster and the East India Co. (d.1837). Brasses: within sedilia to Rev. Hall (d.1793) and Rev. Brook (d.1720); another brass in chancel notes details of C19 restorations.

1.5 The Significance of the Church Building

Phase or area Significance

The tower was built in the 14th and 15th century The lower stage of tin-tower below the string course has a fine early perpendicular style West window which lights the ringing chamber

Moderate

South Doorway is the original a semi-circular Norman doorway

Moderate-high

1.6 Contents of the Church

Items Significance

The stained glass in the East windows in 1943 depicting the life of St. Francis was designed by J. E. Nuttgens and was given by Helen Carter

Moderate-high

Stained glass in south chancel is of Mary Mother of Jesus and Mary Magdalene a second window depicts Jesus meeting Mary Magdalene after the resurrection. These are Victorian

Low moderate

The East window, design with lamb of God in centre pane is also Victorian

Low-moderate

The stained glass in the 2 windows of the south side nave is Victorian and depicts St Stephen and St Laurence.

Low-moderate

The ocular windows in the two bays of the chancel are of a dove in the sanctuary and creation in the Lady Chapel.

Moderate

The belfry contains a peel of six bells. The oldest, having an inscription Soli Deo Gratia, and dated 1633, is one of three known to have existed in 1897, the other two being recast. A further three were added at the time of Queen Victoria's Jubilee in 1897. One of these new bells is inscribed "John Henry Smith gave me; John Taylor made me", and another is known to have been given by the then Rector, Rev. E. S. de Courcy Ireland, and his wife

Moderate

An eight-day clock was purchased for £40 in 1862 replacing an earlier one, possibly of pre 1777. The South clock face was designed by Gilbert Scott. The mechanism of 1862 was replaced in 1973 with an electric mechanism and a clock face added to the West face of the tower

Low moderate

Tiles behind reredos show symbols of the four Evangelists

Moderate

The present pews and pulpit was the work of carpenter Alexander Clark, whose workshop lay behind the present post office across the road from the church (1862)

Low moderate

Organ built in 1895. A slot for hand bellows is still in position

Low moderate

Hatchment – The arms are of ‘white’ impaling ‘Denton’. It is probably that of John White who died in 1837 and whose wife restored the chapel in 1846 Both families have tombs in the Lady chapel where the hatchment hung until the 1960’s. Their son, John Nesbit White was a boy-poet and is also buried there.

moderate

Font

moderate

Lectern with eagle of plated brass

Low moderate

War Memorial commemorating local people who died in WW1 And WW2

Low moderate

Sedilia – Wall seat for the priests use. Norman in style and possible part of the original building.

Moderate-high

Piscina : altered from early medieval form to fit in the space left after the addition of the 15th C windows.

Moderate-high

Victorian floor tiles gift of Thomas J P Walker 1875

moderate

Washington tomb: James Washington (d1580)then Lord of the Manor at Adwick with his wife and children. The ‘stars and stripes’ of the flag of the United States was inspired by his family coat of

high

arms when his ancestor (not direct) was the first president. American visitors ask to see this.

Fitzwilliam Tomb: John Fitzwilliam and his wife, Amica. He held half the manor of Adwick and died in 1470

moderate

Wray Tomb: Leonard Wray died in1590 and his wife Ursula. Their family seat was at Cusworth

moderate

Against the East wall of the Chancel stands a memorial stone to five victims of an outbreak of cholera in 1832 at Hampole. A well known local custom alleges that having touched the ‘eye’ inscribed in the monument it is necessary to run three times around the church for protection. It is a way mark on the Round Britain Motorbike Rally.

Moderate-high

In the graveyard extension is a 13th century incised stone coffin lid removed from the steps of the Choir Vestry during reflooring of the Nave in 1995.

moderate

On the south chancel wall a blocked priest’s doorway of the Norman period can be seen from outside and there is a scratch sundial or Mass clock on the lintel.

moderate

Mason’s and banker marks are visible on the aisle arches. These date from the 15th century. The arrow shaped mark can also be seen in Arksey and Barnburgh churches.

Low-moderate

Plate: various from 1678. Some lodged with Doncaster Museum.

moderate

Altar frontals were given in 1999 and made by Chantry Vestments

low

The processional cross was presented by the Girl’s Friendly Society in 1929

low

The acolyte candle sticks were given in 2002

low

1.7 Significance for mission The building is a focal point for the village and its strength lies in its witness to a continuing Christian presence in the area. The church is the well loved ‘family’ church for many people in Adwick and beyond. The building is on a human scale and speaks of stability, reassurance and safety which is especially appreciated by older members of the community. It is large enough to inspire awe in the younger visitor and is substantially ‘different’ to any other building to make a statement about its special purpose of worship and praise. The opening up of the chancel by removing the chancel screen opens up the view of the chancel and allows natural light to enter the space. The acoustics are good and choir led singing is uplifting and enjoyed whether for worship or concert. Traditional worship works well in the church. It makes a good setting for traditional weddings. The church is being adapted for new use in that a portable screen and projector are used at certain services to illustrate and facilitate worship. Sunday Club use trestle tables in the aisle, the chancel and the west end of church which is not ideal. The children sit on hassocks in the chancel to explore stories and have refreshments which are prepared in the Lady Chapel. The younger children use a potty in the Rector’s vestry when the need arises and there is only one cold water sink in the building.

Part II: The significance of the area affected by the proposal. PARTS OF THE CHURCH AND/OR CHURCHYARD AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSAL. The north aisle, the font and the war memorial will be most affected. The North Aisle was erected some time early in the 14th century but the fabric we see now is due mainly to the rebuilding operations of the over-restoration in the 19th century when the North Door was blocked (visible outside). The original purpose for the addition of this aisle is uncertain. The village population of the time would scarcely warrant extra accommodation and it is most unlikely, owing to its design, to have contained a chapel. It is most probable that space was required for use as a route for processions associated with celebration of mass, particularly at Easter. The aisle is lit by four straight-headed windows in the perpendicular style, possibly Victorian copies of originals. Beneath the small Western-most window is located the blocked-up doorway sealed in 1835.

The font, which had been relocated from near a now-blocked North Doorway in 1835 to a central position in front of the tower door, was in 1995 returned to its original position after removal of two Victorian pews from the aisle. The font would be moved in the present proposal.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THESE PARTICULAR PARTS The parts of the north aisle affected are of low moderate or moderate significance THE IMPACT OF THE PROPOSAL ON THESE PARTS The proposed alteration will have a high impact on the overall look of the North Aisle. The proposal is to move both the font and the war memorial, to take out the pews and make a new floor with perfecta concrete paving to match the rest of the church floor. A toilet and kitchenette will be built in the north west corner using light oak timber. Cupboards in the same material will line the north wall and a store for tables and folding chairs will adjoin the toilet/kitchen wall. There will be a moderate effect to the positive on the font which will be relocated at the front of the north aisle making it more easily assessable and visible for Baptisms. There will be a high positive impact on the organ screen which will take on new significance as the backdrop to the font and baptismal area. The organ screen will be made using light oak wood as the other new furnishings

This significant re-ordering in this aisle will leave the nave and chancel of the church untouched whilst providing a much needed space for hospitality to children and adults, for children’s work and to explore the heritage of the church using new and appropriate interpretational materials. There is an arcade of three bays with significant columns separating the affected area from the body of the church. When services are taking place the attention is directed away from the north aisle and the impact of the historical building is not affected. The aspect on entering the church will be fitting and it is intended that the new work will not detract from the beauty of the building. The space can be filled with chairs when the church is being used to capacity and the availability of extra seating beyond what is now possible can be provided at the back of church. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The development takes place within the existing footprint of the church. The chosen method of drainage from the toilet and kitchen is by trench arch scheme which has minimal effect on the environment and all excavation work will be covered over to have no lasting effect.

1.8 Sources consulted. TEXT BASED RESOURCES: Brooks, Richard, Bed Hons Dip A.S.A. “A Brief History and Guide to Adwick-le-Street and the Church of St Laurence” 1997 Comper, Frances M M, “The Life of Richard Rolle”, Methuen & Co 1969 WEB-BASED RESOURCES: The National Heritage List for England www.doncaster.gov.uk/conservationareas doncasterhistory.co.uk/ wikipedia.org domesdaymap.co.uk www.spanglefish.com/adwick-le-street (the information from this site was carefully used as it was considered unreliable)

Appendix 1:Adwick-le-Street Conservation Area From Doncaster.gov website:

The Conservation Area

Adwick-le-Street was designated a conservation area on 6 January 1992. A full appraisal has yet to be carried out.

Brief Summary

Adwick-le-Street is a rural settlement that has expanded with suburban developments form the twentieth century and is mentioned in the Domesday Book. The conservation area is based on the old settlement located around the church of St. Lawrence. It is linear in character and stretches along Village Street with a spur along Church Lane; the latter was the main road to Carcroft before the village centre was bypassed by the building of Doncaster Lane. To either side of the built up areas that make up the 'main street' are two green areas, that to the west being the recreational open space of The Park and to the east is an open field to the mill leat. There are several archaeological sites within these green areas, including the site of Adwick Hall within The Park.

Limestone was the traditional material, which is rendered on some buildings, but there is also some brick. Principle roof materials are slate and clay pantiles. Limestone boundary walls are an important and extensive feature of the conservation area. The conservation area is well endowed with mature trees particularly in The Park.

Within the conservation area there are 4 listed structures. These can be viewed on the map as well as on the list in the Documents section to the right. The cross in the churchyard as well as being listed is also a scheduled monument.

The above description of the conservation area is only a brief overview and a full appraisal will be carried out that will consider in more depth the features that make up the significance of the area

Listed Buildings within Adwick-le-Street Conservation Area 1 Church of St. Lawrence, Grade II* EH reference 334873

Church Lane 2 Cross (remains) Grade II EH reference 334874

St. Lawrence churchyard Also Scheduled Ancient Monument 3 Cholera memorial, Grade II EH reference 334875

St. Lawrence churchyard 4 Watermill, Mill Lane Grade II EH reference 334884