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West Leake St Helena

Official Listing Description

The following are listed:

The Church
Sundial
Lychgate

Church

Parish church. C12, C14, C15, extensively restored and organ chamber rebuilt 1878 by Henry Hall for Lord Belper of Kingston Hall. Dressed coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. Plain tile roofs with corbel table to all but the chancel and aisle. Parapet to chancel and aisle, coped gables with single ridge crosses to the porch, east nave and north organ chamber. Single stack to the south east nave. Buttressed. Nave with west bellcote, south aisle, south porch, north organ chamber, north vestry and chancel. Gabled C19 bellcote with 2 moulded arches containing single bells and surmounted by single trefoil. Where the bellcote rises from the nave there are single small carved grotesques. West wall of the nave on a shallow plinth with single arched early C14 3 light window with intersecting tracery and hood mould. Over is a single C19 sexfoil. The north wall is on a chamfered plinth and has a blocked C12 doorway with the remains of zigzag decorated imposts and originally with round arched tympanum. To the left is a single C12 round arched light. In the restored C15 clerestory are 3 windows each with 2 ogee arched and cusped lights under a flat arch. In the apex of the east nave is a single quatrefoil. To the left is the projecting organ chamber with single arched C19 3 light window with reticulated tracery and hood mould in the north wall. Adjacent is the C14 damaged ashlar coffin. Further left and set on a chamfered plinth is the C19 vestry with Caernarvon arched doorway in the north wall and a single arched 2 light window with plate tracery and hood mould in the east wall. The north chancel has an arched doorway with hood mould, to the left is a single C14 arched 2 light window with reticulated tracery and hood mould. The east wall has a single similar 3 light window with hood mould. The south wall has a single similar 2 light window with hood mould. To the right is a projecting lead sundial and to the left a single early C14 2 light window with Y tracery and hood mould. The east wall of the south aisle has a single restored C15 arched window with single transom, having 2 cinquefoil lights above and below, cusped panel tracery, hood mould and decorative label stops. The south wall is set on a chamfered plinth, under the parapet extends a band terminating in single small carved grotesques. There are 3 C19 ashlar cross windows with cinquefoil arched lights above and below the transoms. To the left is the gabled C19 porch set on a chamfered plinth. Moulded arched entrance with double door, hood mould and label stops. Over is a single lozenge panel containing a single quatrefoil and shield. The west wall has a single trefoil arched light. Inner chamfered and moulded arched doorway, the outer moulded order supported on a single pair of colonnettes. To the left is a single similar C19 cross window. The window in the west wall of the aisle corresponds to the east window of the aisle. The C19 clerestory has 5 shallow recessed panels, the 4 on the right each with single window with 2 ogee arched and cusped lights under flat arches. Interior. 5 bay C14 nave arcades with octagonal columns and responds, moulded capitals and double chamfered arches. Double chamfered nave/organ chamber arch, the inner order supported on octagonal responds. Similar chancel arch. The south chancel wall with arched and cusped piscina. The north wall with an arched and cusped tomb recess containing the C14 effigy of a lady with head under a trefoil arch and crocketed hood mould over. C19 reredos with blind arcading and decorative carving. South aisle, south wall with arched piscina. North wall of organ chamber with arched tomb recess containing the C14 effigy of a man with head supported by 2 angels under a nodding ogee, cusped and crocketed arch with finial. South aisle/south wall with arched tomb recess. The C13 effigy has a dogtooth arch over the head. 2 C17 benches. South aisles with C16 table with turned legs. C19 octagonal font with decorated quatrefoil panels. In the nave and aisle are several C16, C17 and C18 floor slabs. The north nave wall has a memorial to Richardus Mansfield, 1624. The inscription, flanked by 2 shields, those to the left now missing. 2 pilasters and fluted brackets support a broken pediment containing decorative shield. The north chancel has a memorial to Robertus Hemington, 1774. The inscription is surmounted by an urn. That to Edward Ellis, 1795, has a pediment over the inscription. On the east chancel wall is a memorial to T. H. Hastings, 1804 by Peck of Loughborough, with a reeded surround to the inscription, apart from the apron which is decorated with a shield. The crown topped with an urn. The south wall has a good memorial to Thomas Mansfield, 1742 , with a surround of cherubs, swags, shields and skull and topped with a portrait bust. There is a further memorial to Thomas Mansfield, 1706, the inscription tablet is flanked by single Corinthian columns which support an open and broken segmental pediment enclosing a single shield.

Sundial

SK 52 NW 4/139 G.V.

WEST LEAKE

MAIN STREET (south side) Sundial in Church- yard of Church of St. Helen, single metre south of the chancel Grade II

Sundial. C18 with early C19 alteration. J. Syson, London. Ashlar and copper. Moulded plinth surmounted by tapering pedestal with bulbous reeded base, the circular coping with single projection is topped with a copper sundial inscribed J. Syson, London. The projection supports further C19 gnomon.

Lychgate

SK 52 NW 4/140 G.V.

WEST LEAKE

MAIN STREET (south side) Lychgate at entrance to Churchyard of Church of St. Helen Grade II

Lychgate. c.1919. Wood, some ashlar. Hipped slate roof with single ridge cross. 4 corner posts, set into low ashlar plinths, with curved and decorative brackets supporting the roof. Extending between the side posts are single low panels, with to the front a double wooden gate. Posts inscribed “1914" and “1918". Beam under eaves inscribed “Their name liveth for evermore”. Included for group value only.