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Forres, High Street, St Laurence Parish Church
Chapel (19th Century), Church (Medieval), War Memorial (20th Century)
Site Name Forres, High Street, St Laurence Parish Church
Classification Chapel (19th Century), Church (Medieval), War Memorial (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Gordon Street; St Laurence's Chapel; Parish Church Of St Lawrence; War Memorial Roll Of Honour
Canmore ID 15797
Site Number NJ05NW 20
NGR NJ 03565 58876
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/15797
- Council Moray
- Parish Forres
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Moray
- Former County Morayshire
NJ05NW 20 03565 58876
NJ05NW 20.01 Centred NJ 03596 58877 Burial-ground
(NJ 0356 5887) St Laurence Church at Forres stands on the site of St Laurence's Chapel, built by King Alexander III in 1275 in memory of Queen Margaret. It is said to have been burnt by the Wolf of Badenoch in 1390 and re-erected immediately afterwards.
R Douglas 1934
The ancient parish kirk of St Laurence persisted until 1775.
R G Cant 1948
The present Parish Church of St Laurence, dedicated in 1906 (Jubilee in 1956 (information from Rev W P Wishart)) is still in use as a place of public worship. Nothing remains of the earlier buildings.
Visited by OS (RDL) 17 September 1963.
Field Visit (17 September 1963)
The present Parish Church of St Laurence, dedicated in 1906 (Jubilee in 1956 (information from Rev W P Wishart)) is still in use as a place of public worship. Nothing remains of the earlier buildings.
Visited by OS (RDL) 17 September 1963.
Publication Account (1982)
The parish church of Forres was however dedicated to St. Laurence and apparently survived in its gothic form until 1775 (Cant, 1948, 7). A few surviving references to the church imply that the outside walls might have been twenty feet high and inside stone pillars supported the roof which might have in part at the end of the sixteenth century been slated (Douglas, 1934, 241). Its replacement built in 1775 was considered too small by the town council and had underwent numerous repairs. It was replaced in turn in 1906.
Information from ‘Historic Forres: The Archaeological Implications of Development’ (1982).
Photographic Survey (1 May 2013)
Photographed for the Listed Buildings Area Survey 2013-14.
Watching Brief (October 2019)
NJ 03564 58876 A watching brief was undertaken in October 2019 for a drain on the N side of St Laurence Church (Canmore ID: 15797). The work revealed a small amount of disarticulated bone which was reburied onsite, some architectural fragments of yellow sandstone which may come from an earlier church were found and retained.
Archive: NRHE (intended)
Funder: Darroch & Allan Ltd
Stuart Farrell
(Source: DES Vol 20)
