Description

LEASINGHAM CAPTAIN'S HILL
TF 04 NE (east side)

8/37
Church of St Andrew
1.2.67
GV I
Parish church, Late C12, C13, C14 and C15, chancel rebuilt 1863. Coursed
lime-stone rubble and ashlar, with ashlar dressings. Slate roofs with ashlar coped gables with cross finials. West tower, nave with south aisle and porch, chancel and north vestry. Tall 3 stage tower with C14 broached spire with 3
sets of alternating lucarnes, topped by an iron weather cock. Deeply moulded plinth, angle buttresses, moulded first stage band, and finely carved arcaded eaves band. South face, has a chamfered lancet, with pointed arch and single shafts with moulded bases and capitals, plus triple moulded impost. Second
stage blank. Third stage has a pair of round arched bell openings with 2 chamfered, pointed lights each with a mandala above, between are octagonal
shafts with moulded bases and capitals. The lower sections of these openings
have very unusual inverted V tracery. Between the bell openings is a single
shaft with moulded bases and capitals. The west face, first stage has a
round-headed doorway with double plank doors, and a deeply moulded double
arch supported on pairs of shafts with waterleaf capitals and moulded bases. Above a moulded band and then a circular foiled window in a deeply moulded surround. Second stage has a small round-headed chamfered lancet. Third stage
has a pair of round-headed bell openings, identical to the south face. The
north face is blank, with small lancets lighting the north east corner stair,
the third stage has a single round-headed bell opening with tracery the same
as the other bell openings. The east face also has a single round-headed bell opening, identical to the north. The north nave wall has a deeply moulded
plinth and moulded parapet, with to the right a large 3 light panel tracery window under a shallow pointed, moulded and chamfered arch with hood, below
is a small blocked pointed arched doorway. Then to the left, a buttress, then
a narrower 3 light panel tracery window in a pointed moulded chamfered arch
with a hood. Beyond again a buttress then a 2 light geometric tracery window
in a pointed arch with a hood, and beyond a buttress. Projecting from the
north of the chancel is a lean-to C19 vestry which has angle buttresses and a fleuron frieze at the parapet. The north wall has a 5 light, triangular
headed window with cusped lights in a deeply chamfered surround. The east
wall has a 2 light panel tracery window under a shallow arch with a hood. Chancel east wall has angle buttresses and a tall pointed 3 light geometric tracery window with a hood. The chancel south wall has a chamfered plinth and
an ornate corbel table, with a central priests doorway in a deeply moulded chamfered pointed arch with hood, and a C19 plank door. To the hood, and to
the right a similar shorter window. The south aisle has a chamfered plinth,
angle buttresses and a coped parapet. The 3 light east window has
retriculated type tracery in a chamfered pointed arch with a hood. The south
wall has a 2 light, cusped Y tracery window to the east, in a chamfered
pointed arch with hood. In the centre is a 3 light panel tracery window in
a deeply chamfered, segment headed surround with hood. To the west an ornate
gabled porch, with deeply moulded plinth and crocketed gabled angle
buttresses. The pointed outer arch is deeply moulded with keeled triple shaft responds with moulded capitals and bases, plus a hood. Either side are single carved figures of angels. The inner doorway has a double chamfered pointed
arch, with chamfered hood mould, moulded imposts, outer single shafts with moulded capitals and bases, and chamfered jambs. C19 plank door, and stone benches. West wall of south aisle has single pointed lancet.
Interior: 3 bay south arcade, with keeled quatrefoil shafts piers, and single shaft responds, all with moulded capitals and bench bases. Pointed double chamfered arches with hoods and head label stops. Double chamfered shallow pointed tower arch with irregular triple shafted responds. Above a former doorway, and the scar of an earlier roof line. Chancel arch, C19 with moulded capitals and bases. Ornate C19 wooden nave and chancel roofs supported on
carved ashlar corbels, south aisle has plain C18 roof. This aisle also has a pointed arched aumbry and cupboard, plus a four-centred moulded arched
doorway to the original rood stair, now blocked with a band of carved fleuron above. Nave north wall has a single blocked doorway with triangular head. Chancel has a single C19 double chamfered, pointed north vestry archway, C19 organ, C19 brass and wooden altar rail and a small ashlar reredos, C19
encaustic tiles, and C19 wooden choir stalls. Nave has a C19 wooden pews and
an ashlar pulpit. Fine C16 octagonal bowl and stem ashlar font with 8 carved figurative panels reputedly copies of C13 originals. Small C18 hatchment in tower. 2 C19 stained glass windows in the chancel. Monuments. Nave north wall tablet to Sophia Blackburn 1792, to Susanna Gunnis and the Reverend Friskney Gunnis 1838. South aisle wall tablet to John Shapleigh 1791.

Listing NGR: TF0565948555

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17530815

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
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  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair