Description

CHARLECOTE

SP25NE MAIN STREET, Charlecote
1901-1/2/13 (West side)
05/04/67 Church of St Leonard

GV I

Church. Rebuilt 1851-3. By John Gibson. For Mary Elizabeth
Lucy. Limestone with hammered finish and ashlar dressings;
steeply pitched graduated stone slate roof.
PLAN: 4-bay nave and 2-bay chancel with Lucy chapel to north,
and south-east tower. Decorated Gothic Revival style.
EXTERIOR: moulded plinth; sill courses and top cornices with
foliated ornament and coped parapets; gabled buttresses, and
coped gables with crosses.
Chancel has 5-light east window with Geometrical tracery and
hood with head stops, the sill raised over panel with raised
lettering: THIS IS NONE OTHER THAN THE HOUSE OF GOD; cusped
spherical triangle window to gable which has broken gable
cross; diagonal buttress with rich crocketed gables with angel
corbels. South side has 2-light window flanked by buttresses,
cornice with gargoyles.
2-stage tower with spire: lower stage has offset set-back
buttresses, pointed entrance has moulded arch to plank door
and small light above and to each return. Octagonal upper
stage has gablets over cusped lancets, gabled buttresses to
diagonals; weathered courses to base of bell-stage with cusped
and gabled opening to each side, beast corbels and spire with
fillets and cross.
North chapel has east rose window with cusped lenticular
window to gable; sill course raised over panel with lettering:
I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE; diagonal buttress. North
side has 2 buttresses between 3 spherical triangle windows
with hoods, the outer windows traceried, central blind window
with lozenge bearing Lucy Arms impaling Williams Arms for M E
Lucy and date: 1851; 3 panels with lettering: AS IN ADAM ALL
DIE EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE. North-west
angle has octagonal turret with entrance and bell-stage and
spire as above; west end has panel reading: I KNOW THAT MY
REDEEMER LIVETH.
Nave north and south sides have full-height buttresses with
gargoyles in the form of crouched beasts between 2-light
windows with Geometrical tracery and hoods. West end has
diagonal buttresses; entrance of 2 orders with foliate
capitals and leaf trail to hollow moulding, and paired
traceried doors; to each side a 3-bay blind arcade with
benches, foliate capitals and continuous hood with head stops
and stops with symbols of Evangelists; 2 spherical triangles
above have rib bands with lettering: FEAR THE LORD and PRAY TO
GOD; rose window with ballflower to moulded opening and
lenticular window to gable.
INTERIOR: chancel has clustered wall shafts to vaulted roof
with tiercerons, liernes and richly carved bosses; traceried
arch over canopies to sedilia; arches to organ loft and chapel
have continuous moulding; enriched relief panel with
inscription to east. Chapel has waggon roof with moulded ribs
and carved bosses; similar roof to organ loft said to be C15
roof from chancel of former church. Chancel arch of 2 orders
with moulding between and lettering; nave has wall shafts and
lierne vault.
FITTINGS: most woodwork by Gibson including chancel stalls to
west bay with rich gabled canopies to double-cusped arches,
fronts with ogee arches to shields. Chapel has screen with
2-light traceried openings with colonnettes and armorial
bearings over traceried blind panels, foliate cornice and
crest. Nave has richly carved font by Gibson with angels with
shields between ogee arches with crocketed gables and
pinnacles; traceried pew ends; pulpit and lectern are richly
carved oak.
MONUMENTS: 3 notable monuments to the Lucy family in the north
chapel. To east: Sir Thomas, d.1600, and Lady Joyce, d.1595:
alabaster chest tomb has widened chest with slate panels
between panelled pilasters, fluted frieze and moulded top
edge; 2 recumbent effigies, and panel above with inscription
to Lady Joyce, entablature and 3 armorial bearings.
To west: Sir Thomas, d.1605, and Lady Constance, d.1637:
alabaster altar tomb with recumbent effigy flanked by black
Corinthian columns supporting projections of entablature, one
retaining arms, and both with obelisk; back has 2 arched
relief panels and entablature with Lucy Arms to frieze, and
top crest (figure missing); children in relief to chest and
free-standing widow kneeling to front, all facing north.
To North: Sir Thomas, d.1640, and Lady Alice: white and black
marble chest tomb with plain panelled chest, one inscribed, 4
black Corinthian columns to front support arches with
cartouches or masks to keys; entablature has skulls to angles
and central broken segmental pediment with Lucy Arms to
cartouche; recumbent female figure and semi-reclining male
figure, rear relief panels of landscape with horseman and
books; attributed to Nicholas Stone with figures by John
Schoerman.
STAINED GLASS: chancel east window by T Willement; eastern
north window to nave by CE Kempe, c1890; nave west window and
others by O'Connor.
A very fine example of a C19 estate church with outstanding
C16 and C17 monuments, which forms an important group with the
buildings of Charlecote Park (qv).
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner, N & Wedgwood, A:
Warwickshire: Harmondsworth: 1966-: 226-7; Shell Guides:
Hickman D: Warwickshire: London: 1979-: 74-5; St Leonard's
Church, Charlecote church leaflet).

Listing NGR: SP2625256554

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17379645

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

• 
  London 3: North West: North West v. 3 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Gloucestershire 1: The Cotswolds: Cotswolds Pt. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cornwall (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)