Church of St Laurence, Upton-cum-Chalvey

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Church of Saint Laurence, Upton-cum-Chalvey
Information
Denomination	Church of England
Diocese	Oxford
Parish	Upton-cum-Chalvey
Rector(s)	Andrew Allen
Contact particulars
Address	Upton Court Road, Slough, Berkshire
Country	England
Website	http://www.saint-laurence.com
Portal:Christianity

Saint Laurence's Church is one of three churches in the modern parish of Upton-cum-Chalvey, and is the oldest building in the borough of Slough, in Berkshire, England.

In the 12th century the wooden parish church of Upton was replaced with a flint building. The tower and outside walls of the Norman building form part of the present church. Several walls bear testament to pudding stone construction. Two other Norman features survive: the ancient baptismal font, and a piscina. During the reformation, many of the ancient decorations were mutilated. A 13th century Italian allegorical image of the Trinity — God Father, Son and Holy Spirit — survived and was reassembled during the restoration of the church.

[edit] Dereliction and restoration

By the early 19th century the church had fallen into such disrepair that it was decided to build a new church, Saint Mary’s, in the town centre. The Norman building was saved from demolition by a local farmer who secured the outside walls and tower. Saint Laurence’s was restored during 1850–1851 and rededicated on 2 December 1851.

[edit] Famous associations with the church

The churchyard may have inspired the 1751 Elegy in a country churchyard by local poet Thomas Gray (1716–1771). St Laurence’s "ivy-mantled tow’r" was a well-known landmark housing a curfew bell that "tolls the knell of parting day" across the fields of Eton College.

The church is the final resting place of Slough astronomer Sir William Herschel (1738-1822), the discoverer of Uranus, and also of his wife and his grandson Alexander Herschel. They are all interred in a family vault at the base of the tower, and commemorative plaques may be seen on the wall nearby. In 2001, a generous bequest allowed St Laurence's to install an impressive set of stained-glass windows to commemorate Herschel and his discovery.

Charles Hatchett (1765-1847), discoverer of niobium, is also buried here.

The current organist is the poet and translator Keith Bosley.