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, a village in Warwickshire, England. It's a special building because it's listed as Grade II* on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's very important historically and architecturally. Today, a group called the Friends of Friendless Churches looks after it.
Contents
A Look Back: The Church's Early Days
The first time we find records of St Leonard's Church is in the 1190s. Many parts of the church, like the arch leading to the main altar area (called the chancel), and some of its stained glass, are from the 12th century. Over the years, new sections were added and changes were made.
Building Changes Over Time
In the 14th century, more parts were added to the church. Later, in the 1700s, the northwest corner of the main part of the church (the nave) was rebuilt using bricks. The entrance porch was first made of wood. It was rebuilt in 1802 and again in 1847. Around 1844, the chancel and the small tower holding the bell (called a bellcote) were added. The bellcote replaced an older, pyramid-shaped roof. In 1935, new wooden seats and wall panels were put inside the church.
Exploring the Church's Design
The main part of the church, the nave, is built from limestone with some brick. The chancel is made from a type of stone called lias. The nave roof has old tiles, while the chancel roof has newer tiles from the 1900s.
Inside the Church
The church has a nave with two sections and a chancel with one section. There's also a porch on the south side that was used as a small room for priests (a vestry). At the west end of the church, there's a single bellcote. The chancel measures about 3.8 meters by 3.1 meters. The window at the east end is a round "wheel window." The side walls have small, round-headed windows.
The nave is larger, measuring about 11.3 meters by 4.8 meters. 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 are from the 1700s, while the font (where baptisms happen) and other furniture are newer.
Special Features
The north door of the church is very old, dating back to 1535. It's considered a very important historical piece. Even though it was damaged by vandals in 1994, it still has its original wooden uprights and decorative patterns. It also has a ring pull shaped like a lion's mouth. There used to be a sundial added in 1818, but it's no longer there. The church has one bell, which was made from two older bells during the 1844 restoration. The church also has a silver cup from London, dated 1655. The church's old records, called parish registers, start from 1562, but some parts are missing before 1666.
The Church Today: A Story of Preservation
St Leonard's Church was closed in 1972 because it was no longer used for regular services. The local church authority, the Diocese of Coventry, wanted to turn it into a house, but this idea was not approved. In 1976, they even applied to tear it down.
Saving a Historic Building
Two groups, the Friends of Friendless Churches and the Ancient Monuments Society, became interested in saving the church. At that time, 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. It's the only church this society has ever owned!
Repairs were done, including rebuilding part of the nave and putting a new roof on the chancel. This work cost about £4,000. More repairs happened in 2004. These included rebuilding the porch and bellcote, using as much of the original material as possible. Part of the nave roof was also repaired. This cost around £25,000 and was paid for by the Friends of Friendless Churches. Since 1983, an artist named Nicholas Jones has been using the church as his workshop.
