Church Of St Leonard

The Church of St Leonard is an Anglican church located in Batsford, Lower Lemington. Its origins lie in the 12th century, with a nave dating from that period, an Early English chancel, and a 19th-century vestry and porch added later.

The nave is constructed of pebble-dashed uncoursed limestone rubble, buttressed on the south and west sides. The chancel is of similarly constructed pebble-dashed, roughly coursed limestone rubble. Both are roofed with limestone slate, with limestone coping. At the east end is a 12th-13th century bellcote containing a single bell inscribed “Richard Sanders made me, 1722”. The vestry features coursed squared and dressed stone with a thin limestone slate roof, limestone gable coping, and an ashlar chimney. The porch is similarly constructed in coursed squared and dressed limestone with a limestone slate roof.

The plan consists of a nave with a south porch and a north vestry adjoining the chancel. The south wall of the nave has two 2-light stone mullioned windows with Decorated tracery and stopped hoods, flanking the porch. The window to the left is a 19th-century replacement, while the window to the right is 14th century. Similar windows are found on the north wall of the nave, and in the north wall of the vestry, with a single original lancet window to the left of the vestry. A 2-light 19th-century traceried window is set into the west wall. The chancel south wall contains a 17th-century 2-light stone mullioned window with stilted arched heads to the lights and a stopped hood, alongside a second 2-light stone mullioned window and a 2-light east window with Early English tracery and hood. Two original lancets are found in the north wall of the chancel. All windows are fitted with leaded panes. The porch contains a 19th-century studded plank door within a flat-chamfered, stilted arched doorway.

Inside, the nave features a 12th-century south door with a chevron-ornamented arch and scalloped capitals. A plain, 12th-century round-headed north doorway now opens into the vestry. The round-headed chancel arch is low and narrow, with moulded imposts and scratched sanctus crosses on the right jamb. Small irregular squints are located on either side of the arch. The chancel is accessed by two steps, with a single step up to the sanctuary. The floor throughout is of stone flags. The nave has a 13th-14th century roof with wind braces, cambered tie beams with a moulded soffit, and a braced collar above. The chancel roof is of a 17th-century queen-post design. A continuous roll-moulded string forms window sills on the north and south sides of the chancel.

The nave contains a small 19th-century octagonal font with a wooden canopy, and a 19th-century organ at the rear of the church. An 18th-century hexagonal panelled wooden pulpit and reading desk are located in the south-east corner, retaining original integral candleholders. Hanging candelabras and pole candle-holders with simple scroll decoration are set within the pews, which provide the only lighting in the church. Stained glass by Nuttgens, dated 1935, is present in the west window, with other 19th-century stained glass in two further nave windows. The chancel houses a 12th-century tub font in the south-west corner, an Early plank-built chest against the north wall, a chair made from 13th-century bench ends, a 20th-century altar and altar rails, 4 wooden plaques with religious inscriptions on the east wall, and a table of kindred over the chancel arch. A small brass plate in the floor in front of the altar commemorates Charles and Peter Greville, dated 1636.