The tower of St Laurence’s Church dominates the valley of the river Avon for several miles. It is all that remains of the 12th Century Church of St Laurence, once the parish church of Kings Newnham. In the 17th century it became the family chapel of the Leigh Family, the Lords of the Manor, and was handsomely decorated. Largely demolished in the 1790s, it was the final resting place of the Cavalier Sir Francis Leigh, Earl of Chichester, whose coffin, along with those of close family members, was disinterred in the 1850s revealing remarkably well-preserved bodies. Also disinterred was the body of a decapitated man who was most likely a casualty of the Civil War, serving in Sir Francis’s regiment.
In 2017, after the base of the tower was cleared, a review of the condition of the old tower was carried out, with a view to confirmed its status as a listed building. The following issues were identified to be worked on in a village newsletter article of 2018.
- Install a new lighting conductor
- Remove the tree that’s growing out of the
south side, and the ivy - Replace the existing building ties, and install
additional ties at the top and bottom - Replace missing stones, and point up the rest of the stonework
- Cover the foundations where they have become exposed
- Remove the soil which is causing the wall to topple
- Rebuild the end of the nave wall which has toppled over, and recap the wall
- Cover the inside of the window openings to stop the weather and pi geons getting in
- Repair / replace the weathered window stonework
- Re-instate the door, and repair the frame that supports it
- Possibly put a structure inside the tower allowing visitors to reach the top
Following an appeal for donations and support, most of this work was carried out, and an open day was held.
