Skip to content
The Great Britain Guide

Historic churches · London

Church of St Laurence, Upminster

Norman & medievalFree admission

Church of St Laurence, Upminster — church in Upminster, London.

Church of St Laurence, Upminster, historic churches in London

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
30 min–1 h
Nearest railway station
Upminster · 0.5 km
  • Free entry

About

Church of St Laurence, Upminster is a historic church in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1201. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Affiliated with Anglicanism. Wikidata describes it as: "church in Upminster, London". Coordinates: 51.5550°, 0.2480°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

The church of St Laurence, Upminster, is the Church of England parish church in Upminster, England. It is a Grade I listed building. It is the historic minster or church from which Upminster derives its name, meaning 'upper church', probably signifying 'church on higher ground'. The place-name is first attested as 'Upmynster' in 1062, and appears as 'Upmunstra' in the Domesday Book of 1086.

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

The church of St Laurence, Upminster, is the Church of England parish church in Upminster, England. It is a Grade I listed building. It is the historic minster or church from which Upminster derives its name, meaning 'upper church', probably signifying 'church on higher ground'. The place-name is first attested as 'Upmynster' in 1062, and appears as 'Upmunstra' in the Domesday Book of 1086.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

Alice Perrers, mistress of King Edward III, was buried in the church or churchyard in 1400. However, there is no memorial to mark her grave. She had three illegitimate children with the king and later lived and died in the Gaynes manor in Upminster. The tower of St Laurence's played a crucial role in Rev. William Derham's first accurate measurement of the speed of sound. Derham was also buried in the church or churchyard, and in accordance with his wishes, there is no memorial for him.

Description

The church exemplifies 13th-century construction. The tower, dating from this period, features rubble walls, buttresses at its base, and a leaded, shingled spire characteristic of Essex architecture. The church underwent significant rebuilding in 1862–1863 by W. Gibbs Bartleet. Further rebuilding took place in 1928, when the original chancel became part of the nave, and the new choir and sanctuary were built, by Sir Charles Nicholson. Nicholson also built the current south chapel and Lady Chapel, on the north side.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.5550, 0.2480
District
Havering
Parish
Havering, unparished area
Postcode
RM14 2BB
Parliamentary constituency
Hornchurch and Upminster
Established
1201
Nearest railway station
Upminster0.5 km

Sources

Other places nearby

Loading nearby places…

Nearby

Other places from this era

More places in this region

Frequently asked questions

Where is Church of St Laurence, Upminster?
Church of St Laurence, Upminster is in London, United Kingdom (postcode RM14 2BB), in the parish of Havering, unparished area.
When was Church of St Laurence, Upminster built?
Built or established in 1201.
Is Church of St Laurence, Upminster a listed building?
Church of St Laurence, Upminster is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is Church of St Laurence, Upminster free to visit?
Yes, Church of St Laurence, Upminster is free to enter.
How do I get to Church of St Laurence, Upminster?
The nearest railway station is Upminster, about 0.5 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode RM14 2BB.