St Laurence Church

St Laurence Church sits right in the heart of Downton, a parish about six miles south of Salisbury. It’s a historic spot that’s often called a real treasure of the area, full of peace and quiet, and it’s there for anyone who needs it, whether for happy times, tough moments, or just some spiritual support.

The church helps out both people on their own and the wider community.

On the architecture side, it’s a beautiful old building that’s open every day during daylight for private prayer or for visitors to have a wander around and soak up the history. There’s a small room at the back where they run Sunday School for school-aged kids.

Services happen regularly, with something for everyone. You get quiet, traditional ones, plus more laid-back café-style gatherings and all-age worship. Morning worship is on every Sunday, lasting about an hour, and they’ve got a solid musical setup with a choir, organ, and bell ringers.

They put on events too, like an annual jazz concert in the churchyard, the Goose Fair around Michaelmas, and concerts by the Downton Band, among other things.

It’s located at Church Hatch in Downton, with the postcode SP5 3PU. For getting in touch, you can reach out to Revd Veronica Batchelor for general stuff. If it’s about safeguarding, there’s Mrs Philippa Merrill, who you can email at the address on their site, or other contacts like Jem Carter or Suzy Futcher with their phone numbers listed there.

The church takes safeguarding seriously, following the Church of England’s policy called Promoting a Safer Church.