St Leonard's Church is an Anglican church in the village of Apethorpe in Northamptonshire, England. It is an active parish church in the Diocese of Peterborough. It has been designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage.[1]
| St Leonard's, Apethorpe | |
|---|---|
 | |
.svg)  Location in Northamptonshire | |
| 52°32′58″N 0°29′23″W / 52.5495°N 0.4898°W | |
| OS grid reference | TL 0249695701 |
| Location | Apethorpe, Northamptonshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 23 May 1967 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Diocese | Peterborough |
| Archdeaconry | Oakham |
| Deanery | Oundle |
History
editThe church at Apethorpe dates mostly from the 14th or 15th century, although there may have been an earlier structure on the site.[1][2] A chapel and tower were added in the 17th century and the tower was restored in the 19th century.[1] The church was designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage on 23 May 1967.[1] The Grade I listing is for buildings "of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important".[3]
Architecture
editExterior
editThe church is constructed of coursed limestone with ashlar dressings; the roofs are lead.[1] Its plan consists of a nave with north and south aisles, chancel, a west tower, a chapel to the south and a south porch. The tower is of three stages, without buttresses. It has a battlemented parapet and is topped with an octagonal spire.[1]
The north and south aisles, are both of three bays; both the aisles and the south chapel are supported by two-stage buttresses between each window.[1]
Interior and fittings
editThe nave has a three-bay arcade with double-chamfered arches. There is an arch to the tower, which is chamfered and moulded. The chancel contains a carved corbel and the pulpit and baptismal font, which date from the 18th century.[1]
The south chapel contains a large marble monument to Sir Anthony Mildmay (d. 1617) and his wife Lady Grace Mildmay (d. 1620), an effigy to Sir Richard Dalton (d. 1442) and a 19th-century marble monument to John Arthur Fane, the infant son of Lord Burghersh.[1][4]
Churchyard
editThe churchyard contains a c. 14th century limestone ashlar cross and an 18th-century limestone ashlar chest tomb, both of which have been given a Grade II listing by English Heritage.[5][6]
References
editFootnotes
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Historic England, "Church Of St Leonard (1371995)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 April 2011
- ^ "Parish of Apethorpe", Oundle Deanery, retrieved 16 February 2011
- ^ Listed Buildings, English Heritage, 2010, retrieved 22 August 2011
- ^ Lewis, pp. 62–66
- ^ Historic England, "Churchyard Cross Approximately 7 Metres South East Of South Porch Of Church Of St Leonard (1191520)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 April 2011
- ^ Historic England, "Chest Tomb Approximately 10 Metres South Of South Porch Of Church Of St Leonard (1040092)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 29 April 2011
Sources
edit- Lewis, Samuel, ed. (1848), "Anthony, St — Appledram", A Topographical Dictionary of England, retrieved 15 February 2011
Further reading
edit- Pevsner, Nikolaus; Cherry, Bridget (1973) [1961], The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, Penguin, ISBN 0-14-071022-1