Church Of St Lawrence

The Church of St Lawrence in Bradford on Avon is a Grade I listed building of exceptional archaeological significance. It was discovered to have ecclesiastical origins in 1856 by Canon Jones after being used as a "skull house" and later as a free school. The church dates back to the Saxon period, with some sources suggesting it is from the 8th century, although its current appearance indicates a 10th-century construction.

The church consists of a nave measuring 25 feet long by 13 feet wide, a chancel that is 13 feet long and 10 feet 6 inches wide, and a north porch. A notable feature of the building is its impressive height relative to its area. The exterior is constructed from coursed rubble with some ashlar, and all roofs are high-pitched and covered with stone tiles. The nave's exterior is divided into three stages by plain string courses and a plinth course. The lower stage is plain, except for vertical pilaster strips connecting the plinth and string courses. The middle stage features arcading with pilasters that support decorative semi-circular arches, while the upper stage is plain. The east gable of the nave shows remnants of upper arcading with reeded pilasters.

The south wall includes a narrow round-headed doorway with pilaster strips and imposts, as well as a round-headed double-splay window in the lower stage. The chancel is divided into two stages, with the lower stage featuring vertical pilasters and having plinth and string courses, while the upper stage continues the arcading from the nave. There are double-splayed round-headed windows in the south wall, and the gable is plain. The north porch also has two stages, with plinth and string courses, vertical pilasters, but lacks arcading. It features a narrow round-headed doorway with a pilaster strip surround and imposts, which is offset from the center of the porch towards the western wall.

Inside, the church is plain, with the chancel floor set at a lower level than that of the nave, and the chancel arch is of typical Saxon design. The Church of St Lawrence is part of a group of listed buildings on Church Street, which includes the Chantry, Little Chantry, Barton Orchard, and the Catholic Church of St Thomas More, among others.