St Leonard's Church, Wollaton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Leonard's Church, Wollaton |
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St Leonard's Church, Wollaton
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| 52°57′11″N 01°13′10″W / 52.95306°N 1.21944°W | |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Broad Church |
| Website | www.stleonardswollaton.org.uk St Leonard's Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Leonard |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Wollaton |
| Diocese | Southwell and Nottingham |
| Province | York |
St Leonard's Church is a historic church in Wollaton, Nottinghamshire, England. It is part of the Church of England. This church is very old, with parts built as early as the 1200s. It has been carefully repaired and updated many times over the years.
St Leonard's Church is well-known for its many old memorials. Many of these are for the Willoughby family, who lived nearby at Wollaton Hall. There is also a special memorial for Robert Smythson. He was the person who designed Wollaton Hall and was one of England's first famous architects. The church is a Grade II* listed building, which means it is a very important historic place.
Contents
A Look Back at St Leonard's Church
St Leonard's Church has a long and interesting history. The oldest part of the church, called the chancel, was built around the early 1200s. The main part of the church, the nave, and the tower were added later, in the 1300s.
For a very long time, the church has been connected to the Willoughby family. They lived at Wollaton Hall and were important supporters of the church. You can find memorials to this family inside the church. These include a special tomb and statues of Henry Willoughby and his wives.
The Church Clock's Story
In 1892, the old clock at St Leonard's Church was very old and worn out. It was replaced with a new clock made by a company called Potts of Leeds. This new clock had a special design invented by Lord Grimthorpe. It was called a "double three-legged gravity escapement."
The time was shown on large faces made of cast iron. These faces had white glass that was lit up by gas lamps at night. This made it easy to see the time even in the dark. In 1991, the clock mechanism was updated again. The old Potts clock was then given to the Leeds Industrial Museum.
Important Memorials Inside
St Leonard's Church has a lot of interesting memorials. These are like special tributes to people who have passed away. Here are some of the notable ones:
- Richard Willoughby, who died in 1471.
- Henry Willoughby, from 1528.
- Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton, who passed away in 1800.
- Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton, who died in 1835.
- Robert Smythson – His memorial calls him a "Gentleman, Architect and Surveyor." It might have been made by his son, John Smythson.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
- Listed buildings in Nottingham (Wollaton West ward)
