Building record 2838/1/1 - Church of St. Leonard

Church built in the 14th-15th century with the Mildmay chapel added in 1621 and the tower in 1633. The church was restored in the 19th century. Built of regular coursed and squared limestone with ashlar dressings, the porch and tower are also of ashlar, the roofs are of lead. The church consists of an aisled nave, chancel, south chapel, south porch and west tower.

{1} Church. C14/C15, Mildmay Chapel 1621, tower dated 1633; restored C19. Regular coursed and squared coursed limestone with ashlar dressings and ashlar porch and tower. Lead roof. Aisled nave, chancel, south chapel, south porch and west tower. South elevation of south chapel of 2-window range of 3-light windows with 4-centred arch-heads. 2-stage buttress between windows and similar clasping buttresses at corners. Shallow gabled roof with plain ashlar parapets. 4-light east window of south chapel is similar to south windows. Similar east window of chancel has centre mullion missing and lower lights blocked. Gable end of chancel is lower than south chapel. 2- stage buttress between east windows. North elevation of chancel is a 2-window range of 3-light windows with 4-centred arch-heads. 2-stage buttress between windows and similar clasping buttress at corner. South aisle of 3 bays, 2-window range of 3-light windows similar to chancel. 2-stage ashlar buttress between windows. Lean-to roof ith plain ashlar parapets. 3-light west window is similar to south windows. Gabled porch breaks forward to left. Outer doorway has double chamfered 4-centred arch-head and semi-circular responds. Inner doorway has similar head and moulded stone surrounds. Panelled doors. Shallow niche above outer doorway and plain parapets. North aisle of 3 bays, 2-window range of 3-light windows similar to chancel. North door, in bay to right, has 4-centred arch-head and moulded stone surround. 2-stage ashla buttresses between windows and similar clasping buttresses at corners. Nave clerestory of 3-window range of 3-light windows with 4-centred arch-heads. Lower lights of windows have been blocked. 3-stage unbuttressed west tower has moulded plinth and moulded string courses, forming a set back at each stage. Small plain arch-head west doorway has 2-light round-head window above. Single-light west window in second stage. Staircase slits to lower 2 stages of north face. 2-light bell-chamber opening to each face of upper stage have round heads and moulded stone surrounds set in a square head recess. Narrow lattice frieze, above, with gargoyles at corners. Castellated parapet and panelled pinnacle bases at corners. Set-back octagonal spire with 2 tiers of lucarnes. Interior: 3 bay nave arcade of double chamfered arches with semi-circular responds, facing into each arch, and single chamfers facing into nave. Similar chancel arch has plain corbelled responds. Chamfered and moulded tower ar h with polygonal responds. Plain inner arch. 3-bay arcade into south chapel, roll moulding and flat underside to arches. Piers and responds have alternate flat and roll moulded faces. Similar arch from south aisle to south chapel. Perpendicular nave roof has arched braced principals and cross beams. Similar aisle roofs adapted as lean-to structures. Chancel and south chapel roofs have Kingpost trusses. Moulded King posts in south chapel. Panelled reredos behind altar has pilasters. Fielded pa elled dado in chancel. Tower screen, probably of 1633 has arch-head doorway, turned balusters and panelled base. C18 pulpit with fielded and moulded panels. C18 font with small bowl on baluster. Painting of Christ walking on the water by R.S. Lauder in chancel. Stained glass; reset medieval fragments in south window of south chapel. East window of south chapel c.1621 in Flemish style; east window of chancel c.1732 by I. Rowell of High Wycombe. 2 early C20 windows in south aisle commemorate Br ssey family who lived at Apethorpe Hall early C20. Wall decoration: inside wall of south chapel has elaborately carved limestone panels with rectangular panels, having some traces of biblical text. Scroll surrounds and arrangement of drapes in spandrels of arcades. Carved corbel in north-east corner of chancel. Fragments of wall paintings above chancel arch. Monuments: Sir Richard Dalton, d.1442, alabaster effigy in south-east corner of south chapel. Sir Anthony Mildmay, d.1617 and wife, large nd elaborate black and white marble monument in centre of south chapel. Recumbent effigies on sarcophagus. 4 life-size figures of Piety, Charity, Wisdom and Justice stand at the corners holding back canopy draperies which fall from a circular lantern, with arched openings. Seated figures at head, and flanking the lantern represent Faith, Hope and Charity. John Leigh, d.1627 black and white marble tablet to right of altar has flanking columns and inverted broken pediment with recumbent figur to one side. Rowland Woodward to left of altar is also black and white marble with flanking obelisks. Honorable John Arthur Fane, died in infancy 1816, marble effigy of a baby in south chapel. Various C19 tablets in south chapel and south aisle to Fane family who were Earls of Westmorland and Lords Burghersh and who lived at Apethorpe Hall until 1904. Jacobean chest and 2 pieces of armour in south chapel. Silk Tabard mounted in south aisle.

{3} St Leonard's Church, Apethorpe. Recorded as `worthy of preservation' in 1984.

{11} Three undated photos.

{12} Includes drawing of monument.

{14} Tree ring analysis of timbers suggest 4 building phases within the church. The first felling phase 1412-37 is found in samples from the north and south aisles plus the two king posts, presumably reused. The second tree felling phase 1611-36 coincides with the construction of the Mildmay Chapel built 1621 which required the south wall of the chancel to be rebuilt, and could have prompted the reroofing. The roof appears to have been replaced in the late 17th century; the timber samples have a felling date of 1675-1700. A fourth felling phase with samples dating to 1737-62 may represent a series of minor repairs.

{15} Report of the conservation treatment of the tomb of Sir Richard Dalton.

{16} No change to description as in authority 4. In regular use.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 18/21 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), G12 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN41470.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1984, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.1-5 (unchecked) (Series). SNN77384.

<4> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.83 (unchecked) (Series). SNN1320.

<5> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<6> 1778, Apethorpe Inclosure Plan 15, (unchecked) (Map). SNN102373.

<7> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<8> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.423-29 (unchecked) (Book). SNN77326.

<9> The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.547-49 (unchecked) (Series). SNN10247.

<10> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, (unchecked) (Series). SNN77379.

<11> Photographs of buildings in Apethorpe (Photographs). SNN111852.

<12> Tillemans P., 1721, View of the Earl of Westmorlands House and of the Church and Steeple at Apethorp, (unchecked) (Drawing). SNN109155.

<13> Lee M., 2004, Henry Penn, Bellfounder, 1685-1729, p.41-53 (unchecked) (Article). SNN109357.

<14> Arnold, A, & Howard, R, 2008, St Leonard's Church, Main Street, Apethorpe, Northamptonshire: Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers, Scientific Dating Report (Report). SNN113428.

<15> Tobit Curteis Associates, 1998, Technical Survey and Proposals for the Conservation of the Polychromy on the Monument to Sir Richard Dalton St Leonard's Church, Apethorpe, Northants. (Report). SNN114898.

<16> Tittensor, A J, 1976, Field Investigator's Comments, F1 AJT 14-JUN-76 (Notes). SNN113157.

<17> Historic England, Undated, Apethorpe Hall, Apethorpe, Northamptonshire, VF000049 (Archive). SNN113376.

<18> Historic England, St Leonard's Church, Apethorpe, BF053022 (Archive). SNN114899.

<19> Historic England, Apethorpe Project, Northamptonshire, BF111643 (Archive). SNN114897.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 11:44AM