Description

LEATHERHEAD CHURCH ROAD
TQ 1656 SE (south side)
12/111

7.9.51 Church of St Mary and
St Nicholas

GV II*

Parish church. Late C11, altered and aisles added in early C13, chancel extended
and transepts either altered or added in early C14, aisles widened and west
tower and spire added in late C15, spire blown down in 1703 and various internal
alterations made during C18; partially renovated and altered in early C19, heavily
restored and altered by Arthur Blomfield in 1872-3 and 1891, and tower restored
in 1894. Flint with dressings of limestone and some sandstone, roofs mostly red
tiles but with some stone slate. Nave with north and south aisles, west tower,
chancel with north and south transepts. The Perpendicular 3-stage west tower,
built at an angle (the south-east corner obtruding into the nave), has angle
buttresses, a plinth with a trefoil arcaded band, bands to the upper stages, and a
restored embattled parapet; a large west doorway dated 1893 and a transomed
west window of the same date above this, both in Perpendicular style; a small
restored 2-light window to the short 2nd stage, a set-back 3rd stage with 3-light
louvred belfry windows, and a hexagonal stair-turret at the north-east corner.
The 4-bay nave (covered by full-height aisles) has 2 gabled dormer windows on
the north side and one on the south side; the north aisle is mostly rendered, has
a gabled porch to the 2nd bay with a 2-centred arched outer doorway moulded
in 2 orders and a stone slate roof; the 3rd bay has a square-headed C15 window
of 2 cinquefoil lights with hollow spandrels and a hoodmould (copied in the added
C19 1st bay), and the 4th bay has a C19 4-light window in Perpendicular style,
under a gable; the south aisle (extended at the west end to embrace the tower),
has inter alia a blocked 2-centred arched doorway with deep chamfered surround,
to the right of this an early C18 wall monument commemorating Mary, dau. of
Thomas Elkins (d.1730), with architrave of fluted pilasters (etc.); and a gabled
dormer in the roof. Both transepts were formerly of one bay, but the north his
a C19 extension (housing a vestry over a heating basement); the east wall of the
earlier portion of this is of flint and limestone chequer-board masonry, with a
C19 3-light window, and the roof on this side and the lower half of the other
are of stone slate; the east wall of the south transept incorporates a rectangle
of limestone masonry of an early phase of building, framing another C19 window,
and its gable wall has C19 chequer-board masonry and a large C19 Perpendicular-
style window. The 2-bay chancel has on the north side 2 C19 windows under the
voussoirs of former medieval 2-centred arched windows, and a small blocked 4-
centred arched doorway; on the south side a rectangular patch of limestone
masonry and a small blocked window; and a C19 3-light east window. Interior: 4-
bay aisle arcades (west arch of north side inserted in 1891), with alternately
round and octagonal piers, moulded caps (that at the east end of the north
arcade with stiff-leaf decoration), stepped chamfered and roll-moulded 2-centred
arches; 4-centred tower arch with clustered shafts; 2-centred double-chamfered
chancel arch with scallop stops, flanked by blocked rood-loft doorways; re-
aligned squint from north transept to chancel; piscina and 3-seat sedilia with
polished shafts; at west end of north aisle, C15 octagonal font with quatrefoil
panels; numerous wall monuments including funeral helm of Robert Gardiner of
Thorncroft (d.1571), Sergeant of the Wine Cellar to Elizabeth I, and obelisk and
sarcophagus to Richard Dalton (d.1681), Sergeant of the Wine Cellar to King
Charles II.

Listing NGR: TQ1675456161

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Church of St. Mary & St. Nicholas, Leatherhead at Wikipedia
• Church of St. Mary & St. Nicholas, Leatherhead official website
• Wikidata Q5117283

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990: Updated version
• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)