Church of St Leonard, Old Warden Facts for Kids

The Abbey Church of St Leonard of Old Warden

The Abbey Church of St Leonard of Old Warden is a very old and important church in Old Warden, Bedfordshire, England. It's so special that it's listed as a Grade I building, which means it's of exceptional historical interest. It became a protected building on October 31, 1966.

Exploring the Church's Design
Richard Shuttleworth Chapel
The Church Bells
People Buried Here
Images for kids
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Exploring the Church's Design

The main part of the church, called the nave

The Sanctuary area of the church

The unique "snake pews"

St Leonard's Church is named after Leonard of Noblac. It was first built in the early 1100s, but most of what you see today is from the 1200s. Over the years, parts were added in the 1300s, 1400s, and 1500s. The bottom part of the tower, including its archway, is from the 1100s. The rest of the tower was rebuilt in the 1400s.

The church was greatly changed in the mid-to-late 1800s. This is when many of the fancy wooden decorations were added inside. The church is mostly built from brown cobblestones with special limestone details. Some newer parts use red brick and cut limestone. The south porch, a covered entrance, was built in 1952. It was added by Mrs. Dorothy Shuttleworth to remember her son, Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth (1909-1940).

Amazing Wooden Carvings

The church is famous for its beautiful and detailed wooden carvings. These were added in the mid-1800s by Robert Henley-Ongley, 3rd Baron Ongley. The carvings come from different times and places, mostly from Belgium, France, and Italy. Some panels are even thought to have come from the private chapel of Anne of Cleves, one of King Henry VIII's wives. You can spot these by looking for the letters "AC" with a crown above them.

Sadly, in 1997, some wooden panels, including 15 showing Bible stories, were stolen from the church. They were never found. The church plans to replace them with new carvings that look similar.

Stained Glass and Memorials

A special part of the church is the old stained glass from the 1300s in the north wall. This glass was originally from nearby Wardon Abbey. It shows St Margaret holding a rope on the right. On the left, you can see an Abbot from Wardon Abbey wearing a white robe.

Further along the north wall, in the chancel (the area near the altar), there's a marble plaque. It was made by Goscombe John to remember Frank Shuttleworth (1845-1913). His wife, Mrs. Dorothy Shuttleworth, put it there. Later, some words were added to the plaque. They tell us that their only son, Pilot Officer Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth, died in a flying accident during World War II. The lectern, which is a stand for reading, has an eagle and the motto of the Royal Air Force. Mrs. Shuttleworth also gave this in memory of her son.

Pulpit, Altar, and Pews

The carved wooden pulpit (where sermons are given) shows scenes of Jesus with children and the Woman of Samaria. It's probably from the 1700s and came from Flanders. Frank Shuttleworth bought it from an antique shop. It used to have carvings of the symbols for the Four Evangelists, but these were also stolen in 1997.

The wooden panels on the front of the altar are from the late 1800s. The "snake pews" at the front are very interesting. One was damaged during the 1997 theft and was fixed by local artists. The other was stolen and later replaced. The large box pew at the top of the nave, across from the pulpit, was where the Shuttleworth Family sat. It has a beautiful carving of women preparing the body of Christ. Above this is a large, fancy carving from the baroque period. It represents Faith and was put there by a sister to remember Caroline Jane Shuttleworth, who died in 1899.

Monuments and Features

At the west end of the nave is a life-size statue. It was made by Peter Scheemakers and Laurent Delvaux. It honors Sir Samuel Ongley (1647–1726). He was a Member of Parliament and a director of important companies. Only one small angel figure, called a putto, remains on the monument. The other was stolen in the 1997 burglary.

The octagonal wooden tiles set into two pillars are very old. They were placed there when the church was restored during the time of Queen Mary, King Henry VIII's daughter. They even have her initial on them. The gallery, a raised walkway along the south wall of the nave, was added in 1841 by Lord Ongley. The panels with blank arches are English and are thought to be from the Elizabethan or Jacobean periods. The baptismal font, used for baptisms, is from the 1300s. It has a fancy canopy from the mid-1800s in the Gothic Revival style.

Richard Shuttleworth Chapel

The Richard Shuttleworth Memorial Chapel

In 2008, some items were moved to St Leonard's church from the Shuttleworth Chapel in Old Warden Park. These included two flags, two lances with special banners, and altar cloths. An oval plaque with the Shuttleworth family crest and RAF wings also came. This plaque remembers Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth (1909-1940). He was a pilot who died in a flying accident during World War II and is buried in the churchyard. This plaque is now in the Chapel, which is in the south nave part of the church.

The window above the altar in the Richard Shuttleworth Chapel was given by his father, Frank Shuttleworth. It was to celebrate the Coronation of Edward VII. However, the date on the window is wrong. The window was finished before the Coronation, which had to be delayed because the King was ill.

The Church Bells

The church has six bells. The oldest bell (No. 5) is more than 400 years old! Bell No. 3 was first made in 1653 by a bell-maker named Miles Graye. But it was remade in 1976. The largest bell, called the tenor bell, was remade in 1840. Bells No. 1 and 2 were made by Taylor of Loughborough. Colonel Frank Shuttleworth added them in 1897 to celebrate Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee.

People Buried Here

The Shuttleworth Family grave in the churchyard

Many notable people are buried in the churchyard of St Leonard's. They include:

Admiral Sir Lionel Halsey (1872–1949): A Royal Navy officer and a courtier (someone who serves at a royal court).
Sir Ralph Endersby Harwood (1883–1951): He was the Financial Secretary to three kings: George V, Edward VIII, and George VI.
Robert 'Bob' Lang (1840-1908): He was the Vicar of St Leonard's from 1892 to 1902. He also played first-class cricket for Cambridge University.
Robert Henley-Ongley, 1st Baron Ongley (c.1721–1785): A British politician.
Sir Samuel Ongley (1647–1726): An English politician.
Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth (1909-1940): A famous racing driver and aviator.

In the north-east corner of the churchyard, there is a special building called the Ongley Family mausoleum. It was built in 1790 and has 42 burial spaces, but only 10 were ever used.