St Lawrence's Church, Mereworth

St Lawrence's Church, Mereworth
St Lawrence's, October 2006
St Lawrence's Church, Mereworth Location in Kent
51°15′32″N 0°22′40″E / 51.25875°N 0.37790°E / 51.25875; 0.37790
OS grid reference	TQ 660 537
Location	Mereworth, Kent
Country	United Kingdom
Denomination	Church of England
History
Status	Parish church
Founder(s)	John Fane, 7th Earl of Westmorland
Consecrated	26 August 1746
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I listed
Style	Neo-Palladian
Groundbreaking	1744
Completed	1746
Specifications
Number of spires	One
Administration
Province	Canterbury
Diocese	Rochester
Deanery	West Malling
Parish	Mereworth

St Lawrence's Church is an Anglican parish church at Mereworth, Kent, United Kingdom. It is in the deanery of West Malling, the Diocese of Rochester and Province of Canterbury. The church was built in the mid-1740s by John Fane, the 7th Earl of Westmorland, following his removal of the village's 12th century place of worship to allow for the enlargement of Mereworth Castle.

The Neo-Palladian style stone structure has been described as "the outstanding 18th-century church in the county, in scale, ambition and architectural interest".^[1] The architect is unknown, but prominent Palladian-era figures such as Henry Flitcroft, James Gibbs and Roger Morris have been suggested.

Many internal fixtures survive from the medieval church, including heraldic stained glass and a series of high-quality brass and stone memorials. Alterations were made several times in the 19th and 20th centuries, including repairs to wartime bomb damage, and restoration work undertaken in 2009. The church has been awarded Grade I listed status in view of its architectural and historical importance.