Church of St Leonard

Details

SO 98 SE FRANKLEY CP FRANKLEY

3/116 Church of St Leonard

16.ll.67

GV II*

Parish church. C15, altered c1751; restored c1873 with further alterations and additions c1931-2 by Bateman. Part dressed coursed sandstone rubble and sandstone ashlar, plain tiled roofs with gable-end parapets and cross finials. West tower enclosed by four-bay nave with south porch and two-bay chancel with north vestry. Decorated and Perpendicular styles. West tower: c1751 (replacing former wooden structure); restored c1931 and c1947 after fires; two stages with intermediate band; buttresses with offsets at west end; 2-light C15 west window with 4-centred head; north and south sides enclosed by nave. Belfry stage has rectangular louvred bell-chamber openings, a moulded cornice and plain parapet with corner pinnacles. Nave: original masonry much restored; buttresses with offsets at bay divisions; north elevation has three pairs of cusped lancets beneath square heads; south elevation has parapet with stone chimney separating main roof from lean-to part adjoining tower wall; two pairs of cusped lancets beneath square heads to east of porch and two cusped lancets to west of porch. The windows are C19 except for the jambs of the south-east window. South porch is C19; gabled with east end buttresses; pointed archway of two chamfered orders with hood mould and head stops depicting Queen Victoria and the Bishop of Worcester. Cusped openings in side elevations; 4-centred arched doorway within of single chamfered order. On east side steps with cast iron railings lead down to base- ment. Chancel: also much restored; 3-light east window with C15 jambs; hood mould and stops carved with grotesque beasts; north elevation has a C19 cusped lancet and the south elevation has two 2-light windows, one with a square head and one with a 4-centred head, which flank a lancet; all are C19. Vestry adjoins to north-west; c1932; two storeys; 3-light splayed mullioned window on ground floor of gable end; large 2-light window on east side. Interior: C19 pointed chancel arch with roll moulding and engaged short colonnette at base on corbel; cusped lancent in left spandrel. Tower arch is pointed and of two orders with flanking smaller arches and also similar arches at base of north and south sides. This arrangement is all by Bateman c1931-2, main arch having hood mould with head stops depicting George V and Queen Mary. C15 roofs with moulded wall-plates; nave has barrel roof, chancel has moulded arch-braced tie-beams. Chancel has an aumbry, C19 altar rails, and panelled organ gallery. Font has C17 octagonal basin with triangle frieze and large turned stem, believed to be reconstruction of original. Hexagonal pulpit with ornate C17 relief carving. Memorials: cusped 4-centred arched relief panel on north wall of chancel to Ann White, died 1849. Despite much C19 restoration work and several fires, this small church has retained some of its medieval masonry and its C15 roofs are of particular interest. (VCH 3(i), p 122; BoE, p 156).

Listing NGR: SO9989580409

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

156379

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Doubleday, AH, Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Worcester, (1913), 122
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, (1968), 156

End of official list entry

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