Church Of St Leonard

The Church of St Leonard is a church primarily dating to the 13th century, with significant later additions and alterations. Constructed of granite and slate rubble stone with a Swithland slate roof, it comprises a west tower, nave, north porch, south aisle with an east porch, and a chancel.

The three-stage west tower incorporates a 13th-century lower portion and a Perpendicular upper section with two clasping buttresses. A small 19th-century door is located on the west side, above which is an original single-light window, several smaller slits, four restored two-light bell openings, and restored crocketted pinnacles and battlements. A two-story 19th-century stair turret is situated on the south side. The nave features a 19th-century north porch and a 13th-century arcade, originally similar on both sides but the north side was heightened later in the 16th or 17th century. The north-west arch has been blocked. The four-bay arcades on the south side have circular piers and abaci supporting double-chamfered arches, with three bull’s-eye windows above. A half bull’s-eye remains adjoining the first of the higher, blocked north arcade arches, which are similar to those on the south. The upper portion of the nave displays 16th/17th-century timber framing across four bays, with wall pieces and curved braces supported by renewed stone corbels. It includes a collar and cranked tie beam with lower angle struts, as well as curved wind braces to single purlins; it has been heavily restored. The chancel, also restored, features a double-chamfered arch, where one chamfer dies into corbels. There are two flat-headed 19th-century two-lights on either side, plus a 19th-century east window with Geometric tracery and stained glass from 1867. The roof is a restored, partly renewed single-purlin construction with wall pieces and curved braces supporting collar beams, with king struts. A wrought-iron altar rail is present.

The south aisle was built as the Danvers Chapel in 1727 and has a four-bay double-purlin king post tie beam truss roof, incorporating angle struts to the purlins, with the upper section originating from the king post. The date is inscribed on the east tie beam. A 19th-century east porch and three 19th-century south windows with Geometric tracery are also present, along with stained glass from 1864 (the Heygate Memorial) in the south-southwest window and two heraldic glass lunettes, one dated 1849. One 18th-century half-round window remains, while the west window is blocked. There are six hatchments, a helmet, sword, and two metal gauntlets. The church contains 17th and 18th-century slate and brass monuments, featuring a notable mid-18th-century example commemorating children of Sir John Danvers; described by Pevsner as 'a tour de force of the slate workers'. A mid-15th century brass, an organ originally by John Snetzler of London dating to 1765 and featuring a Gothic pinnacled front, an 18th-century white marble font, and remains of possibly 17th-century carving on some pew backs are also included. A further 18th-century wall monument and two 19th-century curvilinear tracery windows are on the north wall. The west arch is triple chamfered with a small round arched one-light above and a 19th-century stained glass window.