Church Of St Leonard

Church of St Leonard, Charlecote

Church. Rebuilt 1851–3 by the architect John Gibson for Mary Elizabeth Lucy. The building is constructed of limestone with a hammered finish and ashlar dressings, beneath a steeply pitched graduated stone slate roof.

The plan comprises a four-bay nave and two-bay chancel with a Lucy chapel to the north and a south-east tower. The style is Decorated Gothic Revival.

Exterior

The exterior features a moulded plinth, sill courses and top cornices with foliated ornament, and coped parapets. Gabled buttresses and coped gables with crosses are prominent throughout.

The chancel has a five-light east window with Geometrical tracery and a hood with head stops. The sill is raised over a panel bearing the raised lettering: "THIS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE HOUSE OF GOD". A cusped spherical triangle window lights the gable, which carries a broken gable cross. A diagonal buttress with rich crocketed gables and angel corbels is positioned to the south. The south side contains a two-light window flanked by buttresses, with a cornice featuring gargoyles.

The two-stage tower with spire has a lower stage with offset set-back buttresses. The pointed entrance has a moulded arch to a plank door, with a small light above and to each return. The octagonal upper stage has gablets over cusped lancets and gabled buttresses to the diagonals. Weathered courses mark the base of the bell-stage, with cusped and gabled openings to each side, beast corbels, and a spire with fillets and cross.

The north chapel has an east rose window with a cusped lenticular window to the gable. The sill course is raised over a panel lettered: "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE". A diagonal buttress flanks the east end. The north side has two buttresses between three spherical triangle windows with hoods; the outer windows are traceried, whilst the central window is blind, bearing a lozenge with the Lucy Arms impaling Williams Arms, dated 1851, and the initials of M E Lucy. Three panels carry the lettering: "AS IN ADAM ALL DIE EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE". The north-west angle features an octagonal turret with entrance, bell-stage and spire. The west end displays a panel reading: "I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH".

The nave's north and south sides have full-height buttresses with gargoyles in the form of crouched beasts, positioned between two-light windows with Geometrical tracery and hoods. The west end has diagonal buttresses and an entrance of two orders with foliate capitals and leaf trail to the hollow moulding, with paired traceried doors. To each side is a three-bay blind arcade with benches, foliate capitals and a continuous hood with head stops and stops bearing symbols of the Evangelists. Two spherical triangles above carry rib bands lettered: "FEAR THE LORD" and "PRAY TO GOD". A rose window with ballflower ornament to the moulded opening and a lenticular window to the gable complete the west end.

Interior

The chancel features clustered wall shafts rising to a vaulted roof with tiercerons, liernes and richly carved bosses. Traceried arches span canopies to the sedilia. Arches to the organ loft and chapel have continuous moulding. An enriched relief panel with inscription adorns the east wall. The chapel has a waggon roof with moulded ribs and carved bosses; a similar roof covers the organ loft and is said to date from the 15th century, salvaged from the chancel of the former church. The chancel arch comprises two orders with moulding between and lettering. The nave has wall shafts rising to a lierne vault.

Fittings

Most of the woodwork is by Gibson. The chancel contains stalls to the west bay with rich gabled canopies to double-cusped arches, with fronts featuring ogee arches to shields. The chapel has a screen with two-light traceried openings with colonnettes and armorial bearings over traceried blind panels, foliate cornice and crest. The nave contains a richly carved font by Gibson, featuring angels with shields between ogee arches with crocketed gables and pinnacles. Traceried pew ends, pulpit and lectern, all richly carved in oak, complete the furnishings.

Monuments

Three notable monuments to the Lucy family stand in the north chapel. The easternmost commemorates Sir Thomas (died 1600) and Lady Joyce (died 1595). An alabaster chest tomb has a widened chest with slate panels between panelled pilasters, a fluted frieze and moulded top edge. Two recumbent effigies rest upon it, with a panel above bearing Lady Joyce's inscription, an entablature and three armorial bearings.

The western monument is to Sir Thomas (died 1605) and Lady Constance (died 1637). An alabaster altar tomb bears a single recumbent effigy flanked by black Corinthian columns supporting projections of the entablature; one retains its arms, and both carry obelisks. The back has two arched relief panels and an entablature with the Lucy Arms to the frieze and a top crest (figure now missing). Children in relief appear on the chest, whilst a free-standing widow kneels at the front, all facing north.

The northernmost monument commemorates Sir Thomas (died 1640) and Lady Alice. A white and black marble chest tomb has a plain panelled chest (one panel inscribed). Four black Corinthian columns to the front support arches with cartouches or masks at the keys. The entablature bears skulls at the angles and a central broken segmental pediment with the Lucy Arms to the cartouche. A recumbent female figure and a semi-reclining male figure occupy the tomb, with rear relief panels depicting landscape with a horseman and books. This monument is attributed to Nicholas Stone, with figures by John Schoerman.

Stained Glass

The chancel east window is by T Willement. The eastern north window of the nave is by C E Kempe, dating to around 1890. The nave west window and others are by O'Connor.

This is a very fine example of a nineteenth-century estate church with outstanding sixteenth and seventeenth-century monuments. It forms an important architectural group with the buildings of Charlecote Park.