Church of St. Mary & St. Nicholas, Leatherhead
Encyclopedia
The Church of St. Mary & St. Nicholas, Leatherhead
, is an Anglican parish church. Dating originally to around the 11th Century, it remains a place of worship to this day.
dating the nave
to c. 1210): the nave arcades are typical of the French late-Transitional style then sweeping south-east England. The tower was built in the late 15th century: its large-scale angle buttresses, flattened perpendicular arches and windows (with their cinquepartite cusping) and carved spandrels above the West Door mark it out from the rest of the building, as (with the exception of the fine south transept
window) all other perpendicular details are small and simple, without any of the splendour of those on the tower. Many of them were heavily restored
in the 19th century by Arthur Blomfield
, having been plastered over in the 17th century - some of this plaster can still be seen on the South wall of the South aisle. The stained glass
windows in the church date back to the mid 19th century.
based on 18th Century pipework from an organ which was once in this church - so new is this instrument, in fact, it has not yet arrived. The original instrument - built by the renowned builder Thomas Parker
, one of whose instruments was a favourite of Handel's favourites - was brought from a church in Watford
in 1846 and installed on the West-end gallery under the tower. In 1872, it was removed from there to the North Transept (as all the galleries, which had filled the church, were being removed), where it was rebuilt in a new case and enlarged to three manuals by the firm of J. W. Walker of Ruislip
. This instrument was overhauled twice, in 1927 and 1956, but, by the time it was last heard in 1983, its state of repair was such that it had to be taken out of use. The organ remained in the North Transept, but an Allen
electronic imitation organ. An electrical fault in the latter started a fire which destroyed it and badly damaged the Transept and the pipe organ, which was dismantled, leading to the discovery of the surviving Parker material, including the original keyboards The usable 19th Century material was sold to Norway and the remainder stored. A grant in 2006 from the Heritage Lottery Fund
allowed the reconstruction of the 18th Century organ by the Northamptonshire
firm of Goetze & Gwynn - this instrument is now at an advanced stage of construction in their Welbeck
workshops, due for installation in Leatherhead in September 2007.
Leatherhead
Leatherhead is a town in the County of Surrey, England, on the River Mole, part of Mole Valley district. It is thought to be of Saxon origin...
, is an Anglican parish church. Dating originally to around the 11th Century, it remains a place of worship to this day.
Architecture
The body of the church mostly dates to the early 13th century (Nikolaus PevsnerNikolaus Pevsner
Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner, CBE, FBA was a German-born British scholar of history of art and, especially, of history of architecture...
dating the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
to c. 1210): the nave arcades are typical of the French late-Transitional style then sweeping south-east England. The tower was built in the late 15th century: its large-scale angle buttresses, flattened perpendicular arches and windows (with their cinquepartite cusping) and carved spandrels above the West Door mark it out from the rest of the building, as (with the exception of the fine south transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
window) all other perpendicular details are small and simple, without any of the splendour of those on the tower. Many of them were heavily restored
Victorian restoration
Victorian restoration is the term commonly used to refer to the widespread and extensive refurbishment and rebuilding of Church of England churches and cathedrals that took place in England and Wales during the 19th-century reign of Queen Victoria...
in the 19th century by Arthur Blomfield
Arthur Blomfield
Sir Arthur William Blomfield was an English architect.-Background:The fourth son of Charles James Blomfield, an Anglican Bishop of London helpfully began a programme of new church construction in the capital. Born in Fulham Palace, Arthur Blomfield was educated at Rugby and Trinity College,...
, having been plastered over in the 17th century - some of this plaster can still be seen on the South wall of the South aisle. The stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
windows in the church date back to the mid 19th century.
Music
St. Mary & St. Nicholas is very fortunate to have a brand-new pipe organPipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
based on 18th Century pipework from an organ which was once in this church - so new is this instrument, in fact, it has not yet arrived. The original instrument - built by the renowned builder Thomas Parker
Thomas Parker
Thomas Parker may refer to:* Thomas Parker , English nonconforming clergyman and founder of Newbury, Massachusetts* Thomas Parker Thomas Parker may refer to:* Thomas Parker (minister) (1595-1677), English nonconforming clergyman and founder of Newbury, Massachusetts* Thomas Parker (deacon) Thomas...
, one of whose instruments was a favourite of Handel's favourites - was brought from a church in Watford
Watford
Watford is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, situated northwest of central London and within the bounds of the M25 motorway. The borough is separated from Greater London to the south by the urbanised parish of Watford Rural in the Three Rivers District.Watford was created as an urban...
in 1846 and installed on the West-end gallery under the tower. In 1872, it was removed from there to the North Transept (as all the galleries, which had filled the church, were being removed), where it was rebuilt in a new case and enlarged to three manuals by the firm of J. W. Walker of Ruislip
Ruislip
Ruislip is a suburban area, centred on an old village in Greater London, and is part of the London Borough of Hillingdon.It was formerly also a parish covering the neighbouring areas of Eastcote, Northwood, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip in the area. The parish appears in the Domesday Book, and...
. This instrument was overhauled twice, in 1927 and 1956, but, by the time it was last heard in 1983, its state of repair was such that it had to be taken out of use. The organ remained in the North Transept, but an Allen
Allen
Allen is a Scottish name and surname which means "handsome". Variant spellings include Alan, Allan, etc. The noble family of this surname, from which a branch went to Portugal, is descended of one Alanus de Buckenhall.Allen may refer to:-Taxonomy:...
electronic imitation organ. An electrical fault in the latter started a fire which destroyed it and badly damaged the Transept and the pipe organ, which was dismantled, leading to the discovery of the surviving Parker material, including the original keyboards The usable 19th Century material was sold to Norway and the remainder stored. A grant in 2006 from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
allowed the reconstruction of the 18th Century organ by the Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire
Northamptonshire is a landlocked county in the English East Midlands, with a population of 629,676 as at the 2001 census. It has boundaries with the ceremonial counties of Warwickshire to the west, Leicestershire and Rutland to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire to the south-east,...
firm of Goetze & Gwynn - this instrument is now at an advanced stage of construction in their Welbeck
Welbeck
Welbeck is a village in Nottinghamshire, England, slightly to the south-west of Worksop.Welbeck became a coal-mining centre in 1912 and has a famous stately home, Welbeck Abbey, home of the Dukes of Portland, and which was founded in the twelfth century as a monastery.Among the famous people from...
workshops, due for installation in Leatherhead in September 2007.