Welcome to St Laurence, the Parish Church at the heart of the village of Downton
six miles south of the Cathedral city of Salisbury, Wiltshire.
I do hope that you will be able to visit us. Look at the beauty of our church - but remember this is more than a historic building. It continues to be the ‘home’ for a living and active Christian community where prayers and praise are offered; God’s word is read and preached and the sacraments are celebrated. Here Christians meet together to worship God, thanking him for His love and the precious gift of His Son, Jesus Christ. Here we pray together for the life and well-being of our local parish and village, together with the needs of the wider community and the world at large.
St Laurence is available to us all for baptisms, weddings and funerals. It is here in times of happiness, trouble and spiritual need, for the support of individuals and the Downton community.
We have a variety of services from quiet and traditional to more informal All Age Worship. We have a strong musical tradition here with our regular choir, organ and team of bell-ringers. Two youth groups meet regularly: Sunday School for younger children and LYT – St Laurence’s Youth Together - for teenagers. We also hold regular events catering for a wide variety of tastes so there is something for everyone to enjoy. We pride ourselves on making newcomers welcome, so please introduce yourselves to us when you visit.
Our Church is open daily, during daylight hours, for private prayer and for visitors to discover the history for themselves. People have worshipped here for many centuries and they have left the marks of their faith in the architecture and decoration of the building. As such it stands as a memorial to that faith, and to the vision and skill of earlier generations and the changes in our history throughout the years. Our recent churchyard records are available for those tracing their family tree – please contact us if you would like to view them. For records more than 30 years old you need to contact Wiltshire County Archives at Chippenham.
We look forward to meeting you – Please do visit us.
Revd Frank Gimson (Team Rector)
St Laurence is part of the Forest and Avon Team of churches
We regret to announce the death of one of our church wardens,
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