St Laurence's Church, Ramsgate
St Laurence's Church, also known as St Laurence-in-Thanet, is a Church of England parish church in Ramsgate, Thanet, Kent.
History
The church, founded in 1062, is a grade I listed building, and is the oldest church in Ramsgate. It was an abbey church until 1275, when it became the parish church for the entire area, and inherited many of the former responsibilities of the church in nearby Minster. The building was enlarged in the 12th and 13th centuries, when the chancel and side aisles were added.A lightning strike in 1439 resulted in the church being rebuilt, with the tower being raised to its present height.
As Ramsgate grew in size, the town was granted its own church. St Laurence became a separate parish for the villagers of St Lawrence in 1826, just as the parish church of St George was being built to serve the residents of the town.