Laverton’s building history reaches back to Saxon times in the oldest parts of the Church of St Mary, while other buildings reflect changes made in the 19th century. The village can therefore be explored through specific building phases: from the church’s Norman doorway to an 18th-century manor house and a barn that was later rebuilt. The Radstock Ring offers a different focus, leading through Laverton across open fields, through the churchyard of St Mary’s and on over pastureland. Building history and landscape thus offer two distinct approaches to planning a trip.

Church of St Mary: several historical layers

The Church of St Mary is a Grade II* listed parish church. Its oldest parts date from Saxon times. The Norman entrance has a round arch with zigzag decoration; carved columns with scallop-shell ornamentation frame the doorway. Two clearly identified periods thus meet at the same church. The round arch describes its form, while the zigzag and scallop-shell ornament describe its decoration—the details make the doorway legible as an architectural feature in its own right.

Houses from different building periods

Laverton House offers another specific point of comparison. The manor house dates from the mid-18th century; it was altered and extended in the early 19th century. Its interior also reflects both periods: it includes early 19th-century doors and shutters, as well as a staircase from the mid-18th century. The house thus brings together an older staircase and later alterations and furnishings.

Brookside Farm offers a different perspective. The house, which dates from the mid-18th century, is considered a rare surviving complete house in this area. Two houses from the same period therefore offer different perspectives on building history: at Laverton House, the building phases and interior furnishings stand out; at Brookside Farm, it is the rare survival of the complete house in the area.

Barn, farmhouse and sculptural details

The Barn 40 Metres West of Manor Farm House is a 17th-century grain barn that was rebuilt in the late 19th century. Its original date and later rebuilding belong to two different periods. The Old Farm House dates from the early 19th century and previously consisted of two houses. This earlier configuration is another aspect of its development.

The Baul chest tomb also offers a closer look at decorative details: its corner pilasters are curved, and the reliefs depict skulls and angels. The Lime Kiln at NGR ST 7743 5295 is 3 metres high and 4 metres wide at its widest point. Alongside the buildings, a tomb and a precisely measured structure thus stand as distinct features of the village’s history.

Building history and landscape as travel highlights

Those primarily interested in buildings will find specific points of comparison in the different periods and forms. The Radstock Ring offers a different focus: its route through open fields, across the churchyard of St Mary’s and then over pastureland connects Laverton with a landscape perspective. Trail conditions may change; check them before setting out. Trip planning can therefore distinguish between a focus on building history and one on landscape, without treating them as the same kind of visit.

Discover more destinations: West Chinnock, Burrow Bridge, Templecombe, Chilcompton, Wedmore, Woolverton, Staple Fitzpaine, Ashcott.

For the broader travel overview: Somerset.