St Laurence Church, Bradford-on-Avon

Bradford-on-Avon’s amazing relic of Anglo-Saxon devotional architecture is a worthy start for the one-day pilgrimage walk to Bath Abbey

‍Highlights

• ‍‍Intact Saxon church structure

Two early saints are linked to Bradford-on-Avon, which has one of very few Saxon buildings to survive intact to the present day. The town managed to lose this building for a few centuries, thanks to development that surrounded it after it was used as a factory. An eagle-eyed vicar in the 19th century spotted the stonework and recognized its precious antiquity.

The surroundings and interior have since been cleared, allowing the church to be appreciated in an unadorned state. Little of the original decoration survives, although it does have two angels hovering high up on the east wall of the nave, above the chancel entrance. The sculptures were probably part of a larger scene with Christ in the center, perhaps a similar design to that depicted in England’s oldest wall painting (Nether Wallop in Hampshire).

The nuns of Shaftesbury Abbey were given land at Bradford-on-Avon in 1001 to set up a subsidiary community. It is thought the current church was built to serve them. Shaftesbury was already flourishing thanks to its shrine of St Edward the Martyr. Bradford’s church is so elaborate it is assumed that some of the saint’s relics were also displayed here. The frieze on the front of the altar bears close examination, a highly intricate carving.

The town’s first church was established by St Aldhelm in the early 8th century. The current structure might contain some of this earliest fabric, but other experts think Aldhelm built on the opposite side of the road, under the current parish church of Holy Trinity. The congregation regularly visits its ancient neighbor for acts of worship, as do other Christian communities, and it is in the care of a local ecumenical group. It lies on the St Aldhelm’s Way pilgrim route.

Directions‍

St Laurence Church, Church Street, Bradford-on-Avon BA15 1LW‍

www.saxonchurch.org.uk‍

W3W: dared.assess.reserve

GPS: 51.3470N 2.2538W

St Laurence Church is opposite Holy Trinity Church on the west side of town. It is open daily. A footbridge leads to the churches from the town car park on St Margaret’s Street. The entrance to the car park is on your right 100m after crossing the River Avon if heading south.