Church Of St Leonard

Church of St Leonard, Glapthorn

A church with 12th-century origins, substantially developed in the 13th, 14th and 16th centuries, and restored by J.C. Traylen in 1895. The building is constructed in regular coursed and squared coursed limestone with lead and Collyweston slate roofs.

The church comprises an aisled nave and chancel, a south porch and west tower. The south elevation of the chancel displays a 3-window range of 2-light windows; the righthand window has Y-tracery while the others have plate tracery. A steeply gabled roof with Collyweston slates is surmounted by ashlar gable parapets and finials. The 3-light east window features intersecting tracery with trefoils and is flanked by clasping buttresses. The north elevation of the chancel contains one blank bay, with the north chapel, now serving as the vestry, projecting over 2 bays of the chancel.

The south aisle comprises 4 bays with a 2-window range. The righthand 2-light window has reticulated tracery, while the far-left 3-light window has a 4-centred arch head. The lean-to roof features plain ashlar parapets. The 2-light east window has reticulated tracery and the 2-light west window has a square head with Caernavon head lights. A 14th-century gabled porch positioned left of centre has chamfered and moulded outer and inner arches with semi-circular responds. The gabled roof is covered with Collyweston slate and topped with ashlar gable parapets.

The north aisle extends over 6 bays with a 3-window range of 3-light windows featuring 4-centred arch heads and hollow reveals positioned left of centre, far left and far right. A north doorway to the right of centre has a single chamfered and hollowed surround with carved label stops. Single-stage angle buttresses occupy the corners; the buttresses to the right bear a partially legible 17th-century inscription. The 2-light east window contains a quatrefoil circle, while the 2-light west window corresponds to that of the south aisle. The lean-to roof features ashlar gable parapets.

The nave clerestory comprises a 4-window range of single-light square-head windows. The unbuttressed west tower is post-medieval, comprising 3 uneven stages with a chamfered plinth. The 2-light west window in the lower stage has Y-tracery. Single-light windows appear on the north, south and west faces of the second stage, with no delineation between lower and middle stages on the west face. The upper stage features 2-light bell-chamber openings on each face with 4-centred arch heads. Plain ashlar parapets with gargoyles positioned right of centre adorn the north, south and west faces.

Interior

The 4-bay nave arcade contains early 13th-century work to the west of the south aisle, comprising double-chamfered semi-circular arches with circular piers, octagonal capitals and semi-circular responds. The 2 bays to the west of the north aisle are late 13th-century, with double-chamfered pointed arches, circular piers and semi-circular responds. Sections of walling exist at the centre of the nave between pairs of arcades. A double-chamfered chancel arch with semi-circular responds is accompanied by a plain pointed tower arch, now plastered. A double-chamfered arch with semi-circular responds connects the chancel to the north chapel.

An arch-head niche with dog-tooth decoration stands to the right of the altar, with a piscina in an adjacent window cill. Additional piscinas appear on a wall shaft in the south wall of the vestry and as an arch-head example in the south wall of the south aisle. The east window and central south window of the chancel share a single continuous shafted surround. The 19th-century chancel roof is barrel-vaulted.

Furnishings include a pulpit with Jacobean panels and a Jacobean communion rail featuring turned balusters. An octagonal Perpendicular font has a panelled stem and quatrefoil bowl. Two reading desks in the chancel incorporate linenfold panelling, and two pews at the east end of the nave retain original bench ends.

Medieval wall paintings survive as fragments, with the largest example on the north wall of the north aisle depicting St Christopher. Various 18th and 19th-century inscribed floor panels serve as monuments.