St Leonard's Church is a

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in Wollaton,

Nottinghamshire Nottinghamshire (; abbreviated Notts.) is a landlocked county in the East Midlands region of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west. The traditi ...

, England. Dating originally from the 13th century, the church was restored in the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

and again in the 20th century. It is notable for the large number of

funerary monument Funerary art is any work of art forming, or placed in, a repository for the remains of the dead. The term encompasses a wide variety of forms, including cenotaphs ("empty tombs"), tomb-like monuments which do not contain human remains, and comm ...

s it contains. Many are to the Willoughby family, of nearby Wollaton Hall. There is also a memorial to Robert Smythson, designer of the hall, and one of the first English

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

s. The church is a Grade II* listed building.

History

St. Leonard's dates from at least the early 13th century, the chancel being the earliest part, with the nave and tower dating from the 14th century. The

Wollaton Antiphonal The Wollaton Antiphonal is an illuminated manuscript currently held in the collection of the University of Nottingham in England, UK.. History The antiphonal was commissioned by Sir Thomas Chaworth of Wiverton. It was completed in 1430 and was use ...

was in use in the church from the 1460s. The church has a long connection with the Willoughby family of Wollaton Hall who were the patrons of the parish. Monuments to the family, including a tomb chest and effigies to Henry Willoughby and his wives.

Clock

In 1892 the old clock which was described as being of a great age and entirely worn out was replaced by a turret clock built by

Potts of Leeds Potts of Leeds was a major British manufacturer of public clocks, based in Leeds, Yorkshire, England. History William Potts was born in December 1809 and was apprenticed to Samuel Thompson, a Darlington clockmaker. In 1833, at the age of 24, ...

. This new clock had a double three-legged gravity escapement as invented by Lord Grimthorpe The time was shown on cast iron skeleton glazed with white opal glass which was illuminated by gas lamps at night. The clock mechanism was replaced in 1991 when the Potts clock was given to Leeds Industrial Museum.

Memorials

The church contains an "exceptional number" of memorials. These include: *Richard Willoughby who died in 1471 *Henry Willoughby of 1528 *

Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton (19 December 1726 – 14 June 1800), was an English nobleman, the son of Hon. Thomas Willoughby. He was born at York in 1726 and entered Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1745. He succeeded his father in 1742, ...

1800 *

Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton (24 April 1761 – 19 June 1835), was an English nobleman, the only son of Henry Willoughby, 5th Baron Middleton. He married Jane Lawley, daughter of Sir Robert Lawley, 5th Baronet, and lived in the family s ...

1835 * Robert Smythson - his monument describes him as " Gent.,

Architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

or and Survayor" and is possibly by Smythson's son, John.

References

Sources

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External links