Building record 607/1/1 - Church of St. Leodegarius

Also known as the Church of the Blessed Virgin and St Leodegarius. Church constructed during the 14th-15th century on the site of a 12th century church. Some alterations were carried out in the 19th century. Built of squared coursed ironstone and sandstone and uncoursed rubble. The church consist of a chancel and north chapel, aisled nave, north and south porches and west tower.

{1} Church. C14-C15. Squared coursed ironstone and sandstone and uncoursed rubble. Chancel and north chapel, aisled nave, north and south porches, west tower. C19 east window to chancel. Priest's door with wood lintel in south wall of chancel, Perpendicular 2-light window above and large blocked straight headed opening in left bay. Blocked arch in east wall of south aisle, probably to former south chapel. Perpendicular 3-light windows with panel tracery to north and south aisles. The tracery in the windows west of the porch and in the west wall of the south aisle has been renewed. North chapel has Perpendicular 3-light windows with quatrefoil tracery. C14 gabled south porch. Inner doorway has ogee shaped arch with continuous mouldings and old studded plank door. Perpendicular north porch, converted for use as vestry, has blocked outer doorway with moulded arch and plain jambs. Decorated west tower of 3 stages with crenellated parapet and bell openings of 2 lights with panel tracery. Interior: Perpendicular nave arcades, 4 bays, with double chamfered arches and octagonal piers. Rood screen, c.1500, has 4 traceried openings, coving with fan vaulting, and dado with blind tracery and original painted decoration. Two square Jacobean manorial pews flanking entrances to chancel, carved with blind arcading and stylised foliage. Jacobean 3-decker pulpit. Benches in nave, C14-C15, the ends with blind tracery. C18 box pews in the aisles facing inwards to nave. Musicians pew at west end of south aisle. C18 altar rails. Wall paintings c.1500. One of the most complete cycles in England of the Passion of Christ, but very faded. Also St. Christopher, north wall. Flagellation of St. Margaret, c.1325 behind chancel arch, and Death with pick and shovel, C16, south of tower arch. Stained glass: medieval fragments including Catesby coat of arms, C14-C15, and the figure of a bishop, c.1470. Monuments: John Ianson. 1663, alabaster oval wall tablet with life size three-quarter figure. Brian Ianson died 1634 and his wife. Alabaster wall monument with kneeling figures and children below. Joseph Ashley, died 1737. Grey and white marble architectural wall tablet with pediment and winged cherubs heads below. Signed by N. Hedges. Moses Ashley, died 1740. Grey and white marble wall monument with portrait bust in roundel, also by N. Hedges. John Bentley Ashley d.1761, by John Bacon, 1784. Standing wall monument with two large allegorical figures flanking the inscription. Above them is a sarcophagus on which is a Roman lamp on front of a black obelisk, James Ashley, died 1798; simple wall monument with urn and obelisk. All in chancel. George Henry Arnold died 1844 (north chapel) by I. Wheeler, of Reading. Gothic shrine with elaborate canopy with crocketed pinnacles. Brasses to Thomas Stokes, died 1416 and wife.. Sir William Catesby died 1472 (?) and wife (one figure only remains) and George Catesby (?) died 1505. (Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.89-9O).

{26} Architectural description of Ashby St Ledgers Church and its internal fittings and furniture.

{31} William Catesby, Richard III's favourite, who was immortalised in Collingbourne's notorius couplet 'the catt, the ratt and Lovell owyr dogge, Rulyn all England, undyr an hogge', has a brass at Ashby St Ledgers, Northamptonshire. It has a false date of death in the inscription, to conceal his execution as a traitor after the Battle of Bosworth.

{32} Undated photo, also five photos dated May 1966, also two photos dated Dec 1978, also six photos dated 23.6.93;

{38} [Former list description] The stone church is mainly Perpendicular, but the tower is slightly earlier. It consists of chancel, north chapel, nave and two aisles, south porch, and west tower.
The windows are all Perpendicular, each aisle has three large windows in which are some fragments of old heraldic glass. Across the chancel arch is a Perpendicular screen with delicate tracery and fan vaulting supporting the rood loft which is approached by stairs in the angle of the chancel arch and the east pier of the south arcade.
The nave has arcades of 4 bays and no clerestory. The furnishings of the church are very complete. The pews in the centre part of the nave are Perpendicular with ends of traceried panelling, at
the W. end of the nave are some, probably the choir stalls, with small carved finials of figures. On the nave side of the screen flanking early C.17 box pews, and the pulpit and desks are of the same date with later C.17 balustrading to steps. The box pews in the aisles including the musicians' pew at the W. end of the S. aisle are late C.18. The altar rails are C.17. Over the S. door are the Royal Arms of George III. Brasses.

In the chancel:
1. Remains of a brass thought to be to William Catesby, d. 1470
2. A canopied brass to William Catesby (Richard III's Cat) and his wife. He was the son of the last and executed in 1485. In S. aisle
3. His son, George Catesby, 1505, a kneeling knight.
4. Thomas Stokes, his wife and children 1416.
5. William Smyghte, a priest, 1510.

Monuments in chancel.
1. Bryan I'anson, 1634, his wife and 10 children, on N. wall
2. John I'anson, 1663, on S. wall
3. Joseph Ashley, 1739, on N. wall N. Hedges, fecit.
4. Moses Ashley, 1740, on N. wall. N. Hedges, fecit.
5. John Bentley Ashley, 1761, on N. wall. J. Bacon of London, fecit 1785.
These monuments are illustrated in Country Life, vol. CX, p. 277. The church is illustrated in the same volume, pp. 276, 277.

{41} Medieval glass can seen in the tracery of eight windows. Much of it is associated with the Catesby family and dates to the late 14th-century and late 15th century.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 17/3 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), F04 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN44900.

<3> Glynne S., 1859, Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne, 41 (unchecked) (Manuscript). SNN39492.

<4> Bloxham M.H., 1878, On The Medieval Sepulchral Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.247+52+58 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN107097.

<5> TREEN A.E., BRIEF HISTORY OF ASHBY ST LEDGERS, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN55424.

<6> ASHBY ST LEDGERS, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, ACC 1967/106 ZA 558 (Uncertain). SNN59061.

<7> EGAN B, 1975, A PALIMPSEST DISCOVERY AT ASHBY ST LEDGERS, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, (unchecked) (Article). SNN59122.

<8> HARGREAVES J.W.; GRAY J.B., THE PASSION SERIES OF WALL PAINTINGS IN THE CHURCH OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY AND ST LEOD, (unchecked) (Pamphlet). SNN55419.

<9> HUDSON F, 1853, THE BRASSES OF NORTHAMPTONSHIRE, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59123.

<10> TRISTAN E.W., 1929, ASHBY ST LEDGERS WALL PAINTINGS, (unchecked) (Article). SNN59077.

<11> ASHBY ST LEDGERS FRESCOES AND BRASSES, (unchecked) (Pamphlet). SNN55420.

<12> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59078.

<13> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59079.

<14> DRAWINGS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN55421.

<15> DRAWINGS, 30 (Uncertain). SNN59080.

<16> PHOTOGRAPHS, (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN52349.

<17> PHOTOGRAPHS, P/9408/170 (Uncertain). SNN52346.

<18> PHOTOGRAPHS, P/8613/34 (Uncertain). SNN52345.

<19> Brass Rubbing, ZB 433/A.69 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59082.

<20> Brass Rubbing, ZB 433/A7073 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59082.

<21> Brass Rubbing, P/3335 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59082.

<22> Brass Rubbing, P/3336 (unchecked) (Uncertain). SNN59082.

<23> ILLUSTRATION, P/9407/135 (Uncertain). SNN55423.

<24> ILLUSTRATION, P/9407/116 (Uncertain). SNN59084.

<25> ILLUSTRATION, P/9407/104 (Uncertain). SNN59085.

<26> Kitchen J., 1997, Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Leodegarius, Ashby St Ledgers, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Dissertation). SNN45392.

<27> Pevsner N.; Cherry B., 1973, The Buildings of England: Northamptonshire, p.89-91 (checked) (Series). SNN1320.

<28> DAVIES L, GRAY J.B., ASHBY ST LEDGERS, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE A VISITORS GUIDE......, (unchecked) (Guide). SNN59058.

<29> Chronicle & Echo, 1975, Ancient art restored, (unchecked) (Newspaper cuttings). SNN108791.

<30> Bertram J. (Editor), 2006, The Catesby Family and Their Brasses at Ashby St Ledgers, (unchecked) (Series). SNN109345.

<31> The Building Conservation Directory, 2016, Historic Churches: The conservation and repair of ecclesiastical buildings (Magazine). SNN110336.

<32> Photographs of buildings in Ashby St Ledgers (Photographs). SNN111860.

<33> TRANSFER OF PATRONAGE OF ADVOWSON OF ASHBY ST LEDGERS, (unchecked) (Document). SNN54361.

<34> Bridges J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.14-19 (checked) (Book). SNN77325.

<35> Baker G., 1830, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, p.246-52 (checked) (Book). SNN77327.

<36> 1933, The Archaeological Journal (90), p. 380 (Journal). SNN8831.

<37> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, OS 6" 1955 (Report). SNN112993.

<38> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, DOE(HHR)District of Daventry Rural Diastrict, February 1964 (Report). SNN112993.

<39> List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, District of Daventry, 11/03/1987 (Report). SNN112993.

<40> Historic England, Undated, Blessed Virgin and St Leodegarius' Church, Ashby St Ledgers, BF107235 (Archive). SNN113327.

<41> Marks R., 1998, Stained Glass Of Northamptonshire, p. 10-13 (Book). SNN101533.

Record last edited

Dec 17 2024 4:08PM