St. Lawrence's Church, Salisbury

St. Lawrence's Church stands in the former village of Stratford-sub-Castle, close to Old Sarum. A chapel was recorded here in 1228, and the present church was consecrated in 1326. Built mainly of flint, rubble, and limestone dressings, it includes medieval masonry with chequered flint-and-stone patterns and possible reused Norman stones from the abandoned cathedral at Old Sarum.

The west tower has a layered history. Although it follows a medieval design, it was rebuilt in 1711 with support from Thomas “Diamond” Pitt, the wealthy merchant who owned the Old Sarum estate. The tower also carries a rare single-handed clock, a reminder of the time when church clocks mainly marked the hour for nearby fields and homes.

Inside, visitors can see timber wagon roofs with carved bosses, an early Purbeck marble font, a Jacobean pulpit, and a bricked-up north doorway containing a plaster-cast bust of St. Lawrence after Donatello. The church’s quiet, slightly isolated setting reflects the movement of the medieval village over time, making it a thoughtful stop for those exploring the area’s early history.