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 special Church of England church located in Wollaton, a town in Nottinghamshire, England. This historic church first opened its doors way back in the 13th century. Over the years, it has been carefully repaired and updated, especially during the Victorian era and again in the 20th century.
One cool thing about St Leonard's Church is how many old memorials it holds. Many of these are for the Willoughby family, who lived nearby at the famous Wollaton Hall. You can also find a memorial for Robert Smythson, who was the amazing architect who designed Wollaton Hall. He was one of the very first English architects! The church is considered a very important historical building, known as a Grade II* listed building.
A Look at Its Past
St. Leonard's Church has been around for a long time, at least since the early 1200s. The oldest part of the church is the chancel, which is the area around the altar. The main part of the church, called the nave, and the tower were built later, in the 1300s.
A special old music book, called the Wollaton Antiphonal, was used in this church starting in the 1460s. The church has always had a close connection with the Willoughby family from Wollaton Hall. They were the main supporters of the church in the area. You can see many memorials to this family inside, including a large tomb with statues of Henry Willoughby and his wives.
The Church Clock
In 1892, the church got a brand new clock! The old clock was very old and worn out. The new one was a special "turret clock" made by a company called Potts of Leeds. This clock had a clever design invented by Lord Grimthorpe.
The time was shown on big, see-through faces made of cast iron and white glass. At night, gas lamps lit up the clock faces so everyone could see the time. In 1991, the clock's inner workings were replaced. The original Potts clock was then moved to the Leeds Industrial Museum, where people can still see it today.
Important Memorials
St. Leonard's Church is home to many important memorials. These are like special markers that remember people who have passed away. There are an "exceptional number" of them here!
Some of the people remembered include:
- Richard Willoughby, who passed away in 1471.
- Henry Willoughby, from 1528.
- Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton, who passed away in 1800.
- Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton, who passed away in 1835.
- Robert Smythson – his memorial calls him a "Gent." (Gentleman), "Architect" and "Survayor" (Surveyor). It might have been made by his son, John.
See Also
- Grade II* listed buildings in Nottinghamshire
- Listed buildings in Nottingham (Wollaton West ward)
