| 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 | |
| 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.
- ^ Newman 1976, p. 421.