Description

BLEDINGTON CHURCH ROAD
SP 2422
(west side)
12/47 Church of St. Leonard
25.8.60
GV I
Anglican parish church. C12, C13, C14 and C15. Restoration by
J.E.K. Cutts 1881 and by F.E. Howard c1923. Chancel, coursed
squared limestone rubble with some squared and dressed blocks.
Nave walls, limestone rubble with dressed limestone quoins. Porch,
coursed squared and dressed limestone. Stone slate roof to chancel
and porch other roofs not visible. Plan: nave incorporating tower
at west end, south aisle with porch, passage squint or chantry
linking east end of south aisle to chancel. C13 chancel, south
wall: 2-light stone-mullioned cinquefoil window with stopped hood
and carved spandrels. Single rectangular light right. East end;
C13 three-light stepped lancet with trefoil-headed lights and
stopped hood. North wall; original single light lancet in north
wall of chancel, 2-light C14 window with trefoil head and
quatrefoil left. Nave, buttressed north wall lit by four C15
rectangular 2 and 3-light windows with moulded stone mullions and
cinquefoil heads with Perpendicular tracery. Plank door with
cover strips off centre right within heavily moulded surround.
Heavily moulded hoods with stops in the form of heads over windows
and door. Clerestorey above lit by four 3-light stone-mullioned
windows with cinquefoil heads and stopped hoods, string and parapet
with moulded capping above. Two stage C14 tower with strings
between stages and projecting stair turret up north-west corner.
3-light C14 window with reticulated tracery under a relieving arch
in west wall, trefoil-headed single light above, 2-light stone-
mullioned belfry window above, similar window on south, large
diamond shaped clock with black figures on a white background and
the initials and date V.R. 1891 on north. Buttressed south aisle,
rebuild C15, 3-light pointed window with Perpendicular tracery at
west end. 3-light, C15 window left and far right of porch similar
to those in north wall. 2-light stone-mullioned window with
cinquefoil-headed lights right of porch. 3-light pointed stone-
mullioned window with hollow chamfers, Perpendicular tracery and
stopped hood at east end of south aisle. String above windows with
gargoyle at corner, moulded capping to aisle parapet with scratch
sundial on diagonally set block at south-west corner. Buttressed
C13 porch; double plank door in pointed-arched surround, traces of
2 small mass dials on the left-hand buttress. 2 lancet windows
either side of porch. Hood over window at east end of south aisle
continued over C15 three-light rectangular window with
Perpendicular tracery in south wall of C15 passage squint/chantry.
Flat gable-end coping to chancel and porch with upright cross
finial on gable end of chancel and C12 bellcote comprising two
round-arched openings on rectangular piers with quarter columns at
corners, flat gable-end coping to gable, upright cross finial at
apex.
Interior: early plank door with C19 decorative hinges in heavily
moulded, pointed surround with moulded hood and carved head stops.
3 bay C12 nave arcade with squat round piers with roll mouldings
around each capital, octagonal abaci and pointed double-chamfered
arches. Half bay at east end where passage squint/chantry
inserted. Tall pointed arch with hollow mouldings from nave to
tower; similar lower arch from south aisle to base of tower,
matching blocked or blind arch in north wall of tower. Access to
projecting stair turret from west end of south aisle via small
rectangular opening high in wall of arcade. Double-chamfered
pointed chancel arch rising from rectangular imposts. Large
mutilated cinquefoil opening upper left of arch probably formed
access to rood loft. Concave reveals to nave windows on north with
pedestal brackets with nodding ogee arched canopies over and
crocketed pinnacles. Similar reveals to east window of passage
squint/chantry. C15 painted glass possibly by John Prudde of
Westminster, in east windows of passage squint/chantry and in
windows in nave north wall, some nearly complete panels. Stone
roof with 6 arcaded panels to recess formed by passage
squint/chantry, roof of recess from the chancel by an ornate
double-cusped curtain arch springing from angle corbels. Simple
piscina at east end of south aisle. C13 Chancel; brackets for
images either side of altar with string below. C13 piscina with
trefoil head and scroll moulded hood over in south wall. Stone
flagged floor. C15 cambered moulded tie beams supported by wall
posts on corbels. Intermediary wall posts with corbels in the form
of stone shields between wall posts. Scissor braced chancel roof
fittings; C12 stone tub-shaped font at west end of south aisle.
C20 wood panelling and pointed door from base of tower to aisle.
Pews replaced 1904 some C15 bench ends with decorative blind
tracery retained. C20 wooden pulpit in north east corner of nave
with pierced tracery. Early wrought iron hourglass stand. C20
chair and desk. Late C19-early C20 wooden reading desk. C17
communion rail with turned balusters. C17 altar table. Five C17
bells one C19 bell. Bell on floor of passage squint/chantry dated
1639 by James Keene of Woodstock. (David Verey, The Buildings of
England, Gloucestershire: The Cotswolds, 1979).

Listing NGR: SP2449922551

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St Leonard at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17540548

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  London 4: North: North v. 4 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)