Architecture
The Chapel of St John the Evangelist was the special chapel of the Palmers' Guild. When the enhancements to the Church of the 1440s took place special attention was lavished on the Chapel with some of the finest glass and woodwork. ...read more...
The Screen
Most of the features of St John's Chapel represent the finest example of their type at St Laurence's and the screen is no exception. It dates from the second half of the C15; the use of quatrefoils in the middle rail and cresting rather than Tudor roses suggests perhaps it is pre-1485.
The screen is in 8 paired bays the middle two of which form the door. ...read more...
The Baldacchino
Over the altar of St John's chapel there is an extremely rare late C15 carved altar canopy or baldacchino. In the pre-reformation church altar canopies from which curtains were hung to hide from public view part of the mass that were considered private to the officiant.
They were usually removed at the Reformation and it is not clear why this one has survived. ...read more...
Panelling
The panelling on the north wall of the Chapel dates from the C16 or early C17. The carved frieze of a trail of pomegranates was copied from the earlier altar canopy above. This detail may indicate an early C16 date.
Golden Window
The ‘golden window’ otherwise known and the Paternoster, Salutation or Annunciation Window, is one of St Laurence' ‘Catechism Windows’ and is considered to be the finest in the Church. ...read more...
Creed window 1
This window must be read as a pair with the one to its right despite the masonry in between. They are called the 'Creed windows' because they depict the 12 Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem in AD50 receiving inspiration from the Holy Ghost above through rays of light. ...read more...
Creed window 2
This window must be read as a pair with the one to its left despite the masonry in between. They are called the 'Creed windows' because they depict the 12 Apostles at the Council of Jerusalem in AD50 receiving inspiration from the Holy Ghost above through rays of light. ...read more...
The Palmers' Window
The Palmers' window dates from the period of the C15 rebuilding of the Church. It shows us a religious guild taking liberties with history to exploit a legend.
Here is the legend: King Edward the Confessor was a weak king, but a saintly man ...read more...
Bridgeman Monument
Bridgeman, 1568/9-1637/8, trained as a lawyer; in 1623 he became a member of the Council of the Marches, and was knighted. His numerous legal roles including acting as Recorder of Gloucester and Chief Justice of Chester, and at Ludlow he deputised for the President of the Council of the Marches. ...read more...
Vaughan Monument
This monument is situated on the south side of the Palmers' Window in St John's Chapel. The man commemorated is Edward Vaughan of Trawscoed near Aberystwyth who, like many of the Welsh gentry in the C17 and C18, had Ludlow connections.
The baroque design is typical of its late C17 date in black and white marble with Corinthian columns and a heraldic crest....read more...
Price Monument
This tablet is situated high up in the north-east corner of St John's Chapel. The Baroque design has a heraldic crest with the arms of Price and Agard in the first and third quarters and, presumably, Sprott and Lokier in the other two.
The monument is an intriguing one because despite apparently being a monument to Ann ...read more...