Church Of St Leonard

Church of St Leonard

A parish church originating in the 15th century but substantially altered around 1751 and restored circa 1873, with further alterations and additions made between 1931 and 1932 by architect Bateman. The building is constructed in part dressed coursed sandstone rubble and sandstone ashlar, with plain tiled roofs featuring gable-end parapets and cross finials.

The church comprises a west tower enclosing a four-bay nave with a south porch and a two-bay chancel with a north vestry. The architectural style blends Decorated and Perpendicular elements.

The west tower, rebuilt circa 1751 to replace a former wooden structure, was restored in 1931 and again in 1947 following fires. It has two stages separated by an intermediate band, with buttresses and offsets at its west end. The tower contains a 15th-century two-light west window with a four-centred head. The belfry stage features rectangular louvred bell-chamber openings, a moulded cornice, and a plain parapet with corner pinnacles. The tower is now enclosed by the nave to north and south.

The nave retains much of its original masonry, although extensively restored. Buttresses with offsets mark the bay divisions. The north elevation displays three pairs of cusped lancets beneath square heads. The south elevation has a parapet with a stone chimney separating the main roof from a lean-to section adjoining the tower wall; this side features two pairs of cusped lancets to the east of the porch and two cusped lancets to its west. Most windows are 19th-century work except for the jambs of the south-east window. The 19th-century south porch is gabled with east-end buttresses. Its pointed archway comprises two chamfered orders with hood mould and head stops depicting Queen Victoria and the Bishop of Worcester. The porch sides have cusped openings; internally stands a four-centred arched doorway of single chamfered order. On the east side, steps with cast iron railings descend to a basement.

The chancel has also been much restored. Its three-light east window retains 15th-century jambs and features a hood mould with stops carved with grotesque beasts. The north elevation has a 19th-century cusped lancet. The south elevation displays two two-light windows—one with a square head and one with a four-centred head—flanking a lancet; all are 19th-century work. The north-west vestry, dating to circa 1932, is two storeys high, with a three-light splayed mullioned window on the ground floor of its gable end and a large two-light window on its east side.

The interior features a 19th-century pointed chancel arch with roll moulding and an engaged short colonnette at its base on a corbel; the left spandrel contains a cusped lancet. The tower arch is pointed with two orders, flanked by smaller arches on both the base and at the north and south sides. This arrangement was executed by Bateman circa 1931 to 1932; the main arch carries a hood mould with head stops depicting George V and Queen Mary.

The 15th-century roofs retain moulded wall-plates. The nave has a barrel roof, whilst the chancel features moulded arch-braced tie-beams with stop-chamfered spine beams. The chancel contains an aumbry, 19th-century altar rails, and a panelled organ gallery. The font has a 17th-century octagonal basin with triangle frieze and a large turned stem, believed to be a reconstruction of the original. The pulpit is hexagonal with ornate 17th-century relief carving. A cusped four-centred arched relief panel on the north wall of the chancel commemorates Ann White, died 1849.

Despite extensive 19th-century restoration and several fires, the church has retained some of its medieval masonry. The 15th-century roofs are of particular architectural interest.