Church Of St Leonard

LOFTUS HIGH STREET NZ 7218 (off south side), Loftus. 4/37 Church of St. Leonard (Formerly listed in Church 20.1.67 Row) G.V. II Church, 1811 by Ignatius Bonomi, on site of medieval church; chancel rebuilt 1888 by William Watson, nave largely rebuilt 1900 by Clark and Moscrop (Darlington). Dressed sandstone; plain clay tile roof with stone gable copings; shallow-pitched metal roof on north aisle. 4-bay nave, with north aisle, 2-bay chancel, north-east organ chamber and vestry; and west tower. 4-stage tower has round-headed south doorway with 6-panel door and panelled tympanum, flat surround and keystone. West, round-headed, leaded-light stair window with Gothick mullions, voussoirs, keystone and impost bands. Paired, round-headed, louvred bell openings; clock faces below on west and north faces. Embattled parapet with ramped angle finials; cock weather vane. Quasi-Perpendicular nave and chancel. Nave bays defined by gabled buttresses. Basket-arched windows, with hoodmoulds and string course below sills to south and east. Chamfered sill band to rectangular windows in north aisle; similar clerestorey windows. Round-headed cross windows in west wall of nave and blocked semicircular gallery light in south-west wall, all with keystones. East cross finial. Interior: open-well staircase, with moulded stick balusters, fluted square newels and ramped handrails, in tower. Pointed, double hollow-chamfered north arcade with short octagonal piers without capitals or bases. Organ chamber open to nave and chancel via similar openings. Panelled wagon roof with Tudor rose bosses. Brattishing to wall plates in chancel. Panelled north aisle roof. Stained glass in east window c.1910. Encaustic tiled floors in chancel and sanctuary. Carved oak Perpendicular-style rood screen and beam with cross suspended on iron rods; traceried panels enriched with figures of angels. Fan vaulting connects beam and screen. Oak reredos 1926, with corniced canopy carved with figures of angels, traceried arches, drop tracery, vine ornament to cornice and foliate brattishing. Mid C19 octagonal stone font in shape of chalice with sides of bowl panelled and ornamented with crosses; egg-and-dart moulded rim. Marble monument 1844 by T. Earle to Sir Robert Dundas on north wall of chancel. Ancient drum font on modern stem outside north face of tower.

Listing NGR: NZ7220318121