St Leonard's Church, Newark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St. Leonard's Church, Newark |
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| 53°05′15″N 0°47′42″W / 53.0875°N 0.7951°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www.stmnewark.org |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Leonard |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Newark-on-Trent |
| Diocese | Southwell and Nottingham |
| Province | York |
St. Leonard's Church in Newark is a special place of worship for the Church of England. It is located in the town of Newark-on-Trent, which is in Nottinghamshire, England. This church serves the local community as a parish church, which means it is the main church for a specific area.
A Look at St. Leonard's Church History
The story of St. Leonard's Church involves two different buildings over the years. Both have served the people of Newark-on-Trent.
The First Church Building
The very first St. Leonard's Church was built on Northgate street. Construction finished in 1873. The architects who designed this original church were Evans and Jolly, from Nottingham.
This first church cost about £4,000 to build. That was a lot of money back then! It was officially opened and blessed on January 28, 1873, by Christopher Wordsworth, who was the Bishop of Lincoln at the time.
Inside the church, there was a beautiful decorated screen behind the altar, called a reredos. It was made by an artist named A.H. Skipworth. This reredos was a three-part artwork, known as a triptych. It featured figures made of alabaster, showing scenes like the crucifixion and the annunciation.
For a few years, from 1899 to 1903, a person named William Thompson Wright was the organist at this church. He later became the organist at another important church in Newark, the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Newark-on-Trent.
The Current Church Building
Over time, a new church building was needed to replace the old one. This new St. Leonard's Church was built in 1978. It is located on Lincoln Road.
The design for this modern church was created by an architect named Gordon Smith. The new church was officially opened and dedicated by the Bishop of Southwell on November 5, 1978.
When the new church was ready, the old church's special items and fittings were sold. The beautiful reredos from the first church found a new home. It was bought by Our Lady and St Benedict's Catholic Church, which is in a place called Wootton Wawen.
