Ayot St Lawrence

Today we met friends at the pub in Ayot St Lawrence which we picked as we had been there before and is part way between us (although I would concede it is rather closer to us than it is to them from their home near Richmond Park). Good company, but the food wasn't as good as it was on our last visit; I suspect there has been a change of ownership.

The village is best known for 'Shaw's Corner', the home of writer George Bernard Shaw until his death, and which is now owned by the National Trust. We've been round it a couple of times before so we didn't bother today. This is the old St Lawrence Church in the centre of the village, which was partially demolished in 1775 because it was obstructing the view from Sir Lionel Lyde's new home! A new church was built in the 'Palladian' style to replace it, but is carefully situated a little outside the village where it can't easily be seen.