St Leonard's Church, Spernall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Leonard's Church, Spernall |
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St Leonard's Church, Spernall, from the southeast
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| OS grid reference | SP 086 621 |
| Location | Spernall, Warwickshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Friends of Friendless Churches |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 1 February 1967 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Groundbreaking | 12th century |
| Completed | c. 1844 |
| Specifications | |
| Nave width | 10 feet 2 inches (3.10 m) |
| Materials | Limestone with some brick and lias |
St Leonard's Church is an old church in Spernall, Warwickshire, England, that isn't used for regular services anymore. It's a very special building, protected as a Grade II* listed building (meaning it's historically important). A group called the Friends of Friendless Churches helps take care of it.
History of St Leonard's Church
The first time this church was written about was in the 1190s. Many parts of the church, like the arch leading to the chancel (the area around the altar) and some of its stained glass, are from the 12th century. Over the years, more parts were added or changed. In the 14th century, some updates were made.
Later, in the 1700s, the northwest part of the nave (the main part of the church where people sit) was rebuilt using bricks. The church's porch was first made of wood, but it was rebuilt twice, in 1802 and again in 1847. Around 1844, the chancel and the bellcote (a small structure holding bells) were added. The bellcote replaced an older, pyramid-shaped roof. In 1935, new oak seats and wooden panels were put inside the church.
What St Leonard's Church Looks Like
The nave of the church is built from limestone with some brick, while the chancel is made from a type of stone called lias. The nave has an old tiled roof, but the chancel's roof tiles are from the 20th century.
The church has a main area (the nave) and a smaller section (the chancel). There's also a porch on the south side that was used as a vestry (a room for changing clothes or storing things). At the west end of the church, there's a single bellcote.
The chancel is about 3.8 meters long and 3.1 meters wide. It has a round "wheel window" at the east end and small round windows on its side walls. The nave is much bigger, about 11.3 meters long and 4.8 meters wide. It has two windows and a doorway on both the north and south walls. The south doorway opens into the porch. At the west end, there's a window with two sections.
The communion rails (a fence-like structure near the altar) are from the 1700s. The baptismal font (a basin for baptisms) and other furniture were added later. The north door, made in 1535, is very special. Even though it was damaged by vandals in 1994, it still has its original wooden parts and a ring pull shaped like a lion's mouth. There used to be a sundial added in 1818, but it's gone now.
The church has one bell, which was made from two older bells after the church was restored in 1844. The church also has a silver cup from London, dated 1655. The church's parish registers (records of births, deaths, and marriages) start from 1562, but some parts are missing before 1666.
Recent Times and Today
St Leonard's Church was closed in 1972 because it was no longer needed for services. The local church authority, the Diocese of Coventry, wanted to turn it into a house, but this idea was rejected. In 1976, they even asked if they could tear it down.
However, two groups, the Friends of Friendless Churches and the Ancient Monuments Society, became interested in saving it. At first, the Friends of Friendless Churches didn't have enough money to buy it. So, on August 29, 1980, the Ancient Monuments Society bought the church. This is the only church that society has ever owned!
After buying it, they started repairs. They rebuilt part of the nave and put a new roof on the chancel, which cost about £4,000. More repairs happened in 2004, including fixing the porch and bellcote, using as much of the original material as possible. They also re-roofed part of the nave. This work cost about £25,000 and was paid for by the Friends of Friendless Churches. There were plans for more work on the chancel in 2010.
Since 1983, an artist named Nicholas Jones has been using the church as his workshop.
