Parish Church Of St Leonards

TL 0874-0974 CATWORTH CHURCH ROAD (SOUTH SIDE)

9/3 PARISH CHURCH OF 14.5.59 ST LEONARDS

GV I

Parish church, largely rebuilt in the late C14 with remains of C13 south aisle; Cl7 chancel, north vestry and clerestory. The fine C15 roofs were restored in 1939 and are noteworthy for the carved head-stops to the main beams. The walls are of pebbles, limestone rubble and ashlar; roofs of lead and plain tiles. Church restored in 1876 and 1939.

The late C14 tower of 4 stages has an embattled parapet with 4 gargoyles and carved grotesque corbels to the parapet string course, above a frieze of quatre-foils. West doorway has moulded jambs and a 2-centred arch. Four-centred arch to the west window with 2, transomed and trefoiled lights. Similar, paired windows in 2-centred arches in each belfrey wall. Two small cruciform loops in north and south walls. The ashlar spire of 5 stages has 2 tiers of 4 spire lights.

The embattled south clerestory has 4 windows of 2 cinquefoil lights in 4-centred arches, and 5 gargoyles.

The south aisle has 3 C14 windows, altered and restored. The south porch is parapetted with 2 carved gargoyles and a 2-centred archway with attached shafts with moulded capitals and bases. The mid C13 doorway has a 2-centred moulded arch of 3 hollow- chamfered orders and jambs of 3 shafts with stiff-leaf foiliage to the capitals. The C15 oak door has planks with integrated fillet mouldings, original trellis battens, and a slot for the bar.

The C15 chancel has 3 cinquefoil, 2-light windows.

Interior details. The late C14 chancel arch is 2-centred with wave moulded orders and shafted responds with moulded capitals and bases. The tower arch is 2-centred with one continuous moulded order. The 4 bays of the nave arcades have 2-centred, wave- moulded arches, with 4 shafts with moulded capitals and bases separated by a hollow chamber to each pier.

C14 font with plain octagonal bowl. Fragments of C15 glass in chancel, nave, and south aisle windows. Oak screen, C15 restored in 1939, pulpit also C15 much restored. Piscina C13 originally double, reset.

Monuments to Elizabeth, wife of Thomas Brudenell 1656, to Dr John Lawton and Rose (Driden) 1710, to Matthew Maddock 1788 by William Cox of Northampton (1717-1793), to Elizabeth Booth 1846 by Maile and Son. VCH Huntingdonshire Vol 3, p 28. RCHM Huntingdonshire pp 48-51. Pevsner Buildings of England, p 230. Gunnis pp 115, 253.

Listing NGR: TL0887473365