Church of St Leonard at the Hythe, Colchester
Encyclopedia
The Church of St Leonard at the Hythe, Colchester, is a redundant
Anglican
church in Colchester
, Essex
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. The church stands on the north side of Hythe Hill, in the Hythe area of Colchester.
For many years St Leonard's served as the church of the port of Colchester. Its earliest fabric dates from the 14th century. Additions and alterations were made in the following century, and the hammerbeam roof
of the nave
dates from the early 16th century. During the Siege of Colchester
in the Civil War
, Royalist soldiers took refuge in the church. Bullet holes from this incident survive in the door. In the earthquake of 1884
the tower was damaged and its top stage was replaced.
The screens and furnishings date from the 19th and 20th centuries. Over the chancel
arch is a mural
dated 1901. Stained glass windows depict various saints. Over the centuries the church has required repeated restoration due to subsidence, or to inadequacies in the earlier construction. In 2009 it was suggested that the church might re-open.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. The church stands on the north side of Hythe Hill, in the Hythe area of Colchester.
For many years St Leonard's served as the church of the port of Colchester. Its earliest fabric dates from the 14th century. Additions and alterations were made in the following century, and the hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
of 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...
dates from the early 16th century. During the Siege of Colchester
Siege of Colchester
The siege of Colchester occurred in the summer of 1648 when the English Civil War reignited in several areas of Britain. Colchester found itself in the thick of the unrest when a Royalist army on its way through East Anglia to raise support for the King, was attacked by Lord-General Thomas Fairfax...
in the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
, Royalist soldiers took refuge in the church. Bullet holes from this incident survive in the door. In the earthquake of 1884
1884 Colchester earthquake
The Colchester earthquake, also known as the Great English Earthquake, occurred on 22 April 1884. It caused considerable damage in Colchester and the surrounding villages in Essex...
the tower was damaged and its top stage was replaced.
The screens and furnishings date from the 19th and 20th centuries. Over the chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
arch is a mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
dated 1901. Stained glass windows depict various saints. Over the centuries the church has required repeated restoration due to subsidence, or to inadequacies in the earlier construction. In 2009 it was suggested that the church might re-open.