St Margaret of Antioch Church, Leigh Delamere facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Margaret of Antioch Church |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Leigh Delamere, Wiltshire, England |
| Built | 1846 |
| Architect | James Thomson |
| Architectural style(s) | Gothic revival |
|
Listed Building – Grade II*
|
|
| Official name: Church of St Margaret | |
| Designated | 20 December 1960 |
| Reference no. | 1022289 |
| Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | |
St Margaret of Antioch Church is a historic building in Leigh Delamere, Wiltshire, England. It was built in 1846 where an older church once stood. This church is dedicated to Margaret the Virgin. It is officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building. This means it is a very important historical building. Today, the church is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. It became part of the Trust's care in 1993.
History of St Margaret's Church
The original church on this spot was built around 1190. It had an Early English style with some Norman features. In 1301, a person named John De la Mare was the church's patron. This means he supported the church financially.
By 1846, the old church was in very poor condition. It would have cost too much money to fix it. So, a new church was built instead. Joseph Neeld paid for the new church. James Thomson designed it. He also designed Grittleton House, a large building nearby. Some stone from the old church, including its bell tower, was used again. Thomson used these old stones to build Sevington School.
Architecture and Features
The church is built in the Gothic Revival style. This style looks like churches from the Middle Ages. The chancel is the part of the church near the altar. It has a beautiful reredos, which is a decorated screen behind the altar. This reredos is carved and painted with many colors.
The church also has lovely stained glass windows. The window at the west end was made by Thomas Wilmshurst. Inside, you can find many memorials. These are special plaques or statues that remember people who have died. Many of these memorials are for the Neeld Baronets family.
Later Changes and Use
A new organ was put into the church in 1896. Electricity was added in 1949. However, by this time, not many people were attending church services. The church was officially recognized as a Grade II* listed building in 1960. A lychgate by the road, which is a covered gateway to the churchyard, was listed as Grade II in 1988.
In recent years, a special discovery was made. A 15th-century stone rood was found hidden under the pews. A rood is a large cross or crucifix. This rood was carefully restored by Minerva Conservation. It is now placed in the chancel of the church.
In 2016, the church was used for a special event. It hosted a "pop-up" opera performance. The opera performed was called The Barber of Seville.
See also
