ServiceS

St Leonards sees a wide range of services on a regular basis, from traditional sung Evensong, to more informal services for the whole family. In addition to the usual pattern of services, special services for festivals are also part of St. Leonard’s worship.

Contact:
Mrs Aloÿse Packe, churchwarden, tel. 01608 58447
Mr Barry Way, churchwarden, tel. 01608 658542

The Church & Parish

As the road from Stow descends to the village green, the tower can be seen on the far right above the Cotswold roofs and chimneys. St Leonard’s with its bellcote was built around 1170 on Winchcombe Abbey land (seven hides given at the abbey’s 812 dedication by King Cenwulf of Mercia): the south aisle was added a little later. In the late 13th century the chancel was enlarged with lancet windows in its north and east walls. and the south porch was added. More windows were added in the 14th century including the two beautiful Decorated windows in the west wall.

In the 15th century, encouraged by a lively vicar John Maleyn, the tower was built through the roof of the west end of the nave; slightly later, the rest of the roof was raised to provide an upper layer of windows (clerestory or clear storey) on both sides of the nave. As a result the church is always bright, airy and welcoming.

The interior is distinguished by the open bell-ringers platform (lit by the wide west window), the 12th century tub font, the Charles I bell (on the chancel floor), and the 15- minute sermon timer commemorating a recent churchwarden.

The tiny chantry dating from 1490 and bearing the names of ‘Nicholas Hobbes & Agnes his wife’ is exquisite: her name, popular in Bledington. may be a clue to the source of their funds. Happily most of it survived the 1547 Chantries Act, although the chancel screen, images and stone altar were removed.

The 17th century brought the Bledington bells, all five cast by the Keenes of Woodstock between 1630 and 1695 (a rare William III bell): the sixth followed in 1811. They have been twice refurbished—in 1931 and 1998. Some Victorian restorations were disasters, but St Leonard’s was most sympathetically restored in 1881 by JEK Cutts and it has been cared for ever since. The late 1990s brought a new staircase to the bell chamber, new heating system and newly built organ.

There are several uncovered patches of early wall- paintings in the nave and chancel. The 15th century stained glass pictures include St Christopher, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and St George and the dragon—but not St Leonard, a 6th century French nobleman whose monastery at Noblat near Limoges became in the 12th century a place of pilgrimage for freed captives (including Coeur de Lion) and a staging post for pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St James the Apostle (Santiago) at Compostela in North Spain.

This church in its setting of fields stretching up to Westcote is a place for peace and prayer at all daylight hours.