St Laurence's Church, Norwich

St Laurence's Church, Norwich
St Laurence's Church, Norwich
St Laurence's Church, Norwich Location in Norfolk
Coordinates: 52°37′52″N 1°17′24″E / 52.6311°N 1.2901°E / 52.6311; 1.2901
OS grid reference	TG 227 088
Location	St Benedict's Street, Norwich, Norfolk
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	Saint Lawrence
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	26 February 1954
Architectural type	Church
Style	Perpendicular Gothic
Specifications
Materials	Flint with stone and brick dressings

St Laurence's Church, or St Lawrence's Church, is a redundant Anglican church in St Benedict's Street, Norwich, Norfolk, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It stands on a sloping site between Westwick Street and St Benedict's Street.

The church was built between 1460 and 1472. It was restored in 1893, during which a corner turret was added to the tower. Towards the end of the 19th century the size of the congregation declined, and in 1903 its parish was united with that of St Gregory's. The church closed finally in 1968, and was later vested in the Churches Conservation Trust.

St Laurence's Church is constructed in flint with stone and brick dressings. The clerestory has an ashlar facing. The roofs are in lead and slate. Its plan consists of a nave and chancel in one unit, north and south aisles, north and south porches, a rood stair turret on the south side, and a west tower. The tower is 112 feet (34 m) high. It is in three stages with diagonal buttresses. In the lowest stage is an arched west door. Its spandrels contain carvings of "St Edmund being arrowed and St Lawrence being grilled". Above the doorway is a four-light Perpendicular window, with niches for statues on each side. In the middle stage are square sound holes, and there is a clock face on the south side. The top stage contains two-light bell openings on each side. The parapet consists of a two-stepped battlements with corner pinnacles. The stair turret terminates in a spirelet.