Restored Chronicles of St Laurence: Issue 2 (July 2026)

Stories in Action| Exploring our Heritage| Sharing Stories| Designing the Future| What’s next

Welcome to the second edition of Restored Chronicles of St Laurence, recording progress of our National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported Development Phase of St Laurence Restored.

We are now testing ideas in practice, working with schools, developing new ways of sharing the church’s story, and exploring creative possibilities for the future.

Stories in Action – Dick Whittington Adventure

Dick Whittington’s story came to life at St Laurence Church as 48 Year 3 pupils from Uplands Primary School and The Rosary Primary School took part in two pilot heritage workshops exploring the life of Richard “Dick” Whittington, his links to the church, and how Stroud fared in medieval England. Delivered by Tracy Spiers, the sessions combined storytelling, role play, creative activities and a church trail. Supported by volunteers with costumes provided by Cotswold Players, children explored medieval life, the wool trade, the Black Death, and local legends connected to the church. Children responded enthusiastically. One pupil said, ‘We learnt about the real story of Dick Whittington and that he used his wealth to help people,’ while another added, ‘We learnt to keep going and not give up.’

The pilot demonstrated how storytelling and hands-on engagement can help young people connect with local heritage, while also providing valuable learning to shape future educational activity at St Laurence.

Exploring our Heritage

A new heritage trail was recently trialled at St Laurence Church, inviting visitors to discover the history, mysteries and hidden stories of the building. Led by Delmont, the cheeky church mouse (named after the ill-fated dualist buried in St Laurence churchyard), the 22-story trail formed part of a public consultation to help shape future interpretation of the Grade II* listed church.

Visitors shared what interested them most and the stories they would like to explore further. A revised trail, developed from public ideas, will be available on Wednesday 22 July and Saturday 25 July, 11am–3pm.

Sharing Stories

Stories are at the heart of St Laurence Church. As part of the Development Stage of the project, our talented photographer and videographer, Domonic White from the Community Engagement Team, has created a short film showcasing the many ways the church serves and inspires the community. Available on our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpSZ7qhlM4I&t=1s), the film features voices from people whose lives have been touched by St Laurence and offers a glimpse of the creative events and projects that will engage the community through to 2027.

As Stroud’s oldest and most significant building, St Laurence has always been a place where stories are shared. Whether people come to worship, light a candle, explore the church’s rich heritage or attend one of its imaginative events, they become part of an ongoing story that continues to evolve.

Some stories are hidden in plain sight. The church’s stained-glass windows, for example, were created to tell stories from the Bible and life of Christ and offer spiritual and moral guidance. During our recent Stained Glass Window Weekend, Annarun brought these stories to life, while Rev Simon Howell delivered a thought-provoking sermon inspired by the windows on the church’s east wall.

More stories will be uncovered this summer in our exhibition Bells, Crosses and Treasure. The exhibition will be open, 10am – 1pm, on Fridays and Saturdays from July 10th to August 1st. Visitors can see a film about the bell ringing community; comment on ideas for new crosses for the church roof and peer at some small, but significant pieces of archaeology (our Treasure).

Designing our Future

While we celebrate the stories of St Laurence’s past, we are also looking ahead to its future. One of the projects featured in the upcoming Bells, Crosses and Treasure exhibition focuses on the church’s apex crosses – the decorative crosses that sit at the highest points of the church roof. Historically, St Laurence had nine apex crosses, but only two survive today. As part of the Development Stage, artists have been exploring ideas for a new series of crosses inspired by the church’s history, architecture and community. Visitors to the exhibition will have the opportunity to view these proposed designs and share their thoughts. Looking further ahead, the Delivery Stage of the project will see new apex crosses created and installed, restoring an important architectural feature of the church and adding a contemporary chapter to the story of St Laurence.

What’s Next?

We will be:

• Celebrating the visitors and audiences at St Laurence Church through a weaving project from August 8th. Who comes to the church, how do they describe themselves and how do we weave the information into cloth that represents Stroud?
• Hosting an exhibition with Stroud Local History Society called ‘St Laurence Quarter – an exhibition celebrating the neighbourhood of Stroud’s parish church over the years.’ This will be open to the public on specific days from Friday, 28 August until Monday, 28 September.
• Refining the restoration plan, working with specialist advisers, identifying the most urgent repair works, strengthening the evidence needed for funding applications, and continuing to build local support. If you would like to support the next stage of the project, please get in touch, attend an event, share our updates, or consider how you might be able to help. With continued support, we can protect this special place and secure its future.

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Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpSZ7qhlM4I

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