Bledington Gloucestershire
Church of St Leonard, Bledington Gloucestershire
The 1086 Domesday Survey records that the manor of
'Bladintun' was among the gifts of Coenwulf of Mercia to the abbey of Winchcombe, and consisted of 7 hides. The presence of a church was confirmed in a record of 1175, when the Pope confirmed all the possessions of the abbey who held it until its mid 16c Dissolution.
This early church consisted of a nave and chancel, the only survivors being the font & bellcote which was moved from the west end to its present position when the tower was built.
c1220 The south aisle was added possibly at the same time as the chancel was restored / rebuilt, followed by the south porch later in the century.
Late 14c / early 15c the nave was heightened with clerestory windows & the two stage tower built.
The 15c stained glass is particularly fine with kneeling donors in the north wall windows in the nave www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/aYa5sA & also in the 1490 Chantry chapel between the chancel and south aisle built by "Nicholas Hobbes & Agnes his wife" ,
During the reign of protestant Edward Vl in 1551 the incumbent, John Cooke, was found " wanting in doctrine", and was enjoined to desist from 'superstition'. The vicarage had been vacant for more than a year in 1563 and the church was served by a curate, though in 1566 the churchwardens claimed that there was never a curate there, which suggests that he was not resident. Towards the end of the 16c complaint was made that the chancel was not paved, there had been no sermon for 15 years, and the catechism was not taught.
The tower has 6 bells , one of 1639 by James Keane of Woodstock inscribed "And Charles he is our king" stands on the floor of the chantry chapel www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/374Md6
Winchcombe abbey held the manor until its mid 16c dissolution after which it was given in 1553 to Sir Thomas Leigh, later Lord Mayor of London, and passed from him to his eldest son Rowland and his descendants, the Leigh family of Adlestrop.
The church was restored by John Edward Knight Cutts in 1881 and by Frank Ernest Howard c1923.
Bledington Gloucestershire
Church of St Leonard, Bledington Gloucestershire
The 1086 Domesday Survey records that the manor of
'Bladintun' was among the gifts of Coenwulf of Mercia to the abbey of Winchcombe, and consisted of 7 hides. The presence of a church was confirmed in a record of 1175, when the Pope confirmed all the possessions of the abbey who held it until its mid 16c Dissolution.
This early church consisted of a nave and chancel, the only survivors being the font & bellcote which was moved from the west end to its present position when the tower was built.
c1220 The south aisle was added possibly at the same time as the chancel was restored / rebuilt, followed by the south porch later in the century.
Late 14c / early 15c the nave was heightened with clerestory windows & the two stage tower built.
The 15c stained glass is particularly fine with kneeling donors in the north wall windows in the nave www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/aYa5sA & also in the 1490 Chantry chapel between the chancel and south aisle built by "Nicholas Hobbes & Agnes his wife" ,
During the reign of protestant Edward Vl in 1551 the incumbent, John Cooke, was found " wanting in doctrine", and was enjoined to desist from 'superstition'. The vicarage had been vacant for more than a year in 1563 and the church was served by a curate, though in 1566 the churchwardens claimed that there was never a curate there, which suggests that he was not resident. Towards the end of the 16c complaint was made that the chancel was not paved, there had been no sermon for 15 years, and the catechism was not taught.
The tower has 6 bells , one of 1639 by James Keane of Woodstock inscribed "And Charles he is our king" stands on the floor of the chantry chapel www.flickr.com/gp/52219527@N00/374Md6
Winchcombe abbey held the manor until its mid 16c dissolution after which it was given in 1553 to Sir Thomas Leigh, later Lord Mayor of London, and passed from him to his eldest son Rowland and his descendants, the Leigh family of Adlestrop.
The church was restored by John Edward Knight Cutts in 1881 and by Frank Ernest Howard c1923.