Marston St. Lawrence
Encyclopedia
Marston St. Lawrence is a village and civil parish about 4 miles (6.4 km) northwest of Brackley
in Northamptonshire
. A stream flows through the village and another forms the southern boundary of the parish. The two merge as Farthinghoe Stream, a tributary of the Great Ouse
. The village was the birthplace of the labouring-class poet Mary Leapor
(1722–1746), who was widely read in the mid-18th century.
of St. Lawrence is in the Decorated Gothic style, including the chancel
arch and the arcades
to both the north and south aisles. The north arcade is of four bays
and was built in the 13th century. The Perpendicular Gothic east window of the chancel was added in the second half of the 14th century. One of the aisles was also rebuilt in Perpendicular Gothic, and the bell tower
was added late in the Perpendicular period (15th or early 16th century). There are two carved wooden screens: a Perpendicular one to the north chapel and a very well-carved Jacobean one to the tower. The tower has a ring
of five bells. The parish is now part of the Chenderit Benefice.
or Jacobean
, and one wing includes a panelled room that includes a richly carved overmantel
bearing the date 1611. However the house was completely rebuilt between 1700 and 1730, making the present building either Queen Anne
or early Georgian
.
, the Marston Inn, a 15th century building that belongs to the Hook Norton Brewery.
Marston St. Lawrence Cricket Club plays in the South Northants Cricket League.
Brackley
Brackley is a town in south Northamptonshire, England. It is about from Oxford and miles form Northampton. Historically a market town based on the wool and lace trade, it was built on the intersecting trade routes between London, Birmingham and the English Midlands and between Cambridge and Oxford...
in Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
. A stream flows through the village and another forms the southern boundary of the parish. The two merge as Farthinghoe Stream, a tributary of the Great Ouse
River Great Ouse
The Great Ouse is a river in the east of England. At long, it is the fourth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The river has been important for navigation, and for draining the low-lying region through which it flows. Its course has been modified several times, with the first recorded being in...
. The village was the birthplace of the labouring-class poet Mary Leapor
Mary Leapor
Mary Leapor was an English poet, born in Marston St. Lawrence, Northamptonshire, the only child of Anne Sharman and Philip Leapor , a gardener...
(1722–1746), who was widely read in the mid-18th century.
Parish church
Much of the Church of England parish churchChurch of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
of St. Lawrence is in the Decorated Gothic style, including the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch and the arcades
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
to both the north and south aisles. The north arcade is of four bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
and was built in the 13th century. The Perpendicular Gothic east window of the chancel was added in the second half of the 14th century. One of the aisles was also rebuilt in Perpendicular Gothic, and the bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
was added late in the Perpendicular period (15th or early 16th century). There are two carved wooden screens: a Perpendicular one to the north chapel and a very well-carved Jacobean one to the tower. The tower has a ring
Change ringing
Change ringing is the art of ringing a set of tuned bells in a series of mathematical patterns called "changes". It differs from many other forms of campanology in that no attempt is made to produce a conventional melody....
of five bells. The parish is now part of the Chenderit Benefice.
Marston House
The origins of the house are either ElizabethanElizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
or Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
, and one wing includes a panelled room that includes a richly carved overmantel
Overdoor
An "overdoor" is a painting, bas-relief or decorative panel, generally in a horizontal format, that is set, typically within ornamental mouldings, over a door, or was originally intended for this purpose.The overdoor is usually architectural in form, but may take the form of a cartouche in Rococo...
bearing the date 1611. However the house was completely rebuilt between 1700 and 1730, making the present building either Queen Anne
Anne of Great Britain
Anne ascended the thrones of England, Scotland and Ireland on 8 March 1702. On 1 May 1707, under the Act of Union, two of her realms, England and Scotland, were united as a single sovereign state, the Kingdom of Great Britain.Anne's Catholic father, James II and VII, was deposed during the...
or early Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
.
Amenities
Marston has a public housePublic house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
, the Marston Inn, a 15th century building that belongs to the Hook Norton Brewery.
Marston St. Lawrence Cricket Club plays in the South Northants Cricket League.