Benchmark - St Leonard - Over Whitacre, Warwickshire - European Historic Survey Stones, Monuments and Benchmarks on Waymarking.com

Cut benchmark on the north face of the St Leonards church tower.

The parish church of St. Leonard which was built during the Imperial period. It is situated on the north side of Over Whitacre.

"Church. 1766 attributed to William or David Hiorn. Spire substituted for dome in 1850. Sandstone ashlar. Shallow pitch slate roof with pedimented gable ends. Plan of West tower, aisleless nave, and chancel. 3 stage west tower has doorway with moulded surround flanked by volutes in a square head. Double doors of six raised and fielded panels. Above a tripartite lunette. In the south side wall a bulls eye window. Bell stage has large openings with Gibbs surrounds rising into broken pediments on pilasters. On the corners are big globes. Octagonal spire of 1850 also of sandstone ashlar. Four pedimented oval lucarnes, and below blocked tripartite lunettes. There are plain bands between the stages carried round to the nave. South side wall of 3 window bays. Round-headed arches to leaded lights. The short chancel has a Venetian window at the east end. The north wall of the nave has the centre window blocked. Interior: porch with font of marble. Mid C19. Round basin with gadrooning to underside; on short fluted column. Newel staircase leads to west gallery and bell stage. Gallery on four piers of wood with moulded capitals. The parapet has 3 raised and fielded panels. The communion rail is original. The balusters are of column-on-vase type with a moulded rail. The pulpit has been resited and cut down. Oak. Square with chamfered corners and shaped lower edge on a stem. The panels are inlaid and there are bands of beading, dentils and fluting. The reading desk is also original. Double sided with original bracketted candelabra. Panelled ends. On square column with fluted sides. Monuments. North wall of nave: Alice Brome 1698 (reset). Marble wall monmument with limestone shield above. Tablet flanked by volutes and bolection moulded frame with winged cherubs head below. Richard Sadler of Holt Hall. Over Whitacre. 1734. Marble wall monument. Segmental pedimented tablet. Arthur Miller and Susanne, his wife. Mid C18. Open pedimented wall monument of white marble with black marble to the brackets. South of chancel arch: Miller Sadler and Frances, his wife, late C18 neo-classical wall monument of white marble in form of obelisk. On window sill, a model of the 1766 church shows the dome and the original interior."

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