Church of St Laurence

About

The Church of St Laurence is the main Church of England parish church for the village of Downton, Wiltshire, England. An unusually long building for a village church, the present structure dates from 1147. Continually altered and enlarged until the mid-19th century, the church displays every style of architecture from the Norman to Victorian eras, and has been designated a Grade I listed building.

The church building is notable for showing the evolution of the dominant architectural styles used in Britain, from the Norman work in the nave to late Gothic work in the tower and chancel; numerous and high quality monuments, and a surviving 14th-century priests' doorway. Despite the small size of the village, the building is the fourth-largest medieval parish church (by area) in the county, surpassed only by St Thomas, Salisbury; St Andrew, Chippenham; and the remains of Malmesbury Abbey.