Parish Church Of St Leonard

Parish Church of St Leonard

This is an Anglican parish church in Tortworth, with origins in the 12th century. The building was substantially altered and extended during the 14th and 15th centuries, and underwent heavy restoration in 1872 by the architects R.H. Carpenter and W. Slater, who worked in the Perpendicular style.

The church comprises a west tower, nave, south aisle, south chapel, north porch, chancel and vestry. It is constructed of coursed squared rubble with freestone dressings and features plain tiled roofs with coped raised verges.

The west tower dates to the 15th century and rises in four stages with diagonal buttresses. It has a pierced, embattled parapet with corner pinnacles and gargoyles, all of 1870s date. A projecting south-east stair turret rises from the tower. The bell chamber contains 2-light mullioned and transomed openings with pierced quatrefoils. The west face has a 3-light window and door.

The nave, dating to around 1872, contains two 3-light Perpendicular-style windows. The north porch is dated 1853 and displays the arms of Oriel College, Oxford inside. It projects with a gable, diagonal buttresses and crocketed pinnacles, and includes an image niche.

The south aisle and south chapel date to around 1872 and contain three 3-light Perpendicular-style windows, together with 4-light windows at the east and west ends. A blocked south door with a moulded 4-centred head survives on the south aisle. The chancel is lit by a 5-light east window. A two-storey vestry projects as a gabled north wing, with diagonal buttresses and pinnacles.

Internally, a 4-bay arcade serves the south aisle with an additional bay to the south chapel. The arcade features clustered shafts with hollow moulding and 4-centred arches. An image niche is set into the easternmost pier of the aisle arcade.

The font dates to the 12th century and consists of a scalloped octagonal bowl on a cylindrical shaft, with a 17th-century cover. The pulpit dates to around 1872 and is worked in Perpendicular style.

The east window of the north chapel contains reassembled medieval glass fragments dating to around 1472, depicting Edward IV with angels, the sun in splendour badge and symbols of the Passion. The chancel east window is of 1872 by Powell. The organ, in Perpendicular style, dates to 1895 and was created in memory of Julia, Countess of Ducie.

The church contains numerous monuments. In the south chapel, Thomas Throckmorton (died 1568) is commemorated by an ashlar tomb chest and canopy combining Renaissance and late Gothic styles, with pilasters, entablature, segmental pediment, shell heads to niches, depressed and ogee arches, heraldry and loose 17th-century armour. A second monument to Thomas Throckmorton (died 1607) features an alabaster effigy on a tomb chest against a richly sculptured background of strapwork and symbols, framed by Corinthian columns and entablature with moulded cornice and heraldic finials. Above is a flamboyant coat of arms with an aedicule of paired Corinthian columns, obelisk finials and cresting. An oak chest of 1896 to the Ducie family features Art Nouveau lettering on copper.

Monuments in the chancel include those to Henry Brooke (died 1757, marble with broken pediment and arms) and John Frewen (died 1767, marble classical tablet).

The nave contains further monuments: Dorothy Trenchard (died 1661, plaque with angels); the 3rd Baron Ducie (died 1808, marble plaque in strapwork surround); Clement Lapley (died 1756, grey and white marble, classical); John Bosworth (died 1783, by Wood of Bristol, plain plaque with urn); and Rachel Matthew (died 1761, marble with pediment and arms).

The south aisle displays the arms of George I and a monument to the 1st Baron Moreton (died 1735), which is baroque in style with fluted Ionic columns, open pediment, enriched surrounds and arms.