Church Of St Lawrence

The Church of St Lawrence is a parish church built between 1744 and 1746 for the 7th Earl of Westmorland, following the demolition of the old church to make way for the Castle. It is likely designed by Henry Flitcroft and reflects the architectural ideas of Inigo Jones, as well as those of Hawksmoor and Archer from the 50 New Churches Commission, all influenced by neo-Palladian theory. The church is constructed from ragstone blocks with sandstone ashlar quoins and dressings, topped with a tiled slate roof that features very deep eaves and pediment ends.

The west tower is closely modeled after Flitcroft's St Giles-in-the-Fields, with a square base that has arched belfry openings on the west side and urns on the corners. Above this, there is an octagonal clock stage with pediment aedicules on each side, leading to a columned and balustraded octagonal third stage that supports an eight-sided obelisk-like tower. The west porch is semi-circular and features a cornice around the eaves.

Inside, the church has a seven-bay nave that is three times wider than the aisles, creating a series of square bays. The nave is supported by six close-set Doric columns that carry a flat entablature, with attached half-columns on all four walls. The columns are painted to resemble marble, and the ceilings are coffered. Notable interior features include a tomb for Sir Thomas Faut, who died in 1589 and was erected in 1639, featuring two pairs of Corinthian columns supporting a forward-curving entablature with putti below and two reclining effigies with kneeling sons. There is also a monument to Francesco Sleter, a decorative painter who died in 1775, attached to the exterior wall on the south side.