St Peter's Church, Leck
Encyclopedia
St Peter's Church, Leck, is located in the village of Leck
, Lancashire
, England. It is an active Anglican
parish church
in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn
. Its benefice is united with those of St Wilfrid, Melling
, St John the Baptist, Tunstall
, St James the Less, Tatham
, the Good Shepherd, Lowgill
, and Holy Trinity, Wray
, to form the benefice of East Lonsdale. The church has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II listed building,
architects Paley and Austin. It was damaged by fire in 1913 and rebuilt in 1915, it is said accurately to the original design, by the successors in the Lancaster practice, Austin and Paley.
rubble
with a slate
roof. Its plan consists of a nave
with a north aisle
and a timber south porch, a chancel
at a lower level with a vestry
on the north side, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages, and is surmounted by a plain parapet
and an octagonal slated spire. In the lower stage is a three-light west window containing Perpendicular tracery
. The upper stage contains single-light bell openings. Along the south wall of the nave are four-light windows, and the chancel wall contains windows of three lights and one light. The east window has eight lights.
arcade
divides the nave from the north aisle. The timber roof is open. The sandstone font
is octagonal. Much of the stained glass survived the fire, and it was reinstated by Powells
who used Henry Holiday
's original drawings. The original organ was built some time between 1850 and 1881 by Henry Jones. The present two-manual
organ was built in 1915 by Harrison & Harrison
. The ring
consists of five bells, all cast in 1914 by John Taylor & Co.
Leck, Lancashire
Leck is a civil parish in the English county of Lancashire. The parish of Leck had a population of 189 recorded in the 2001 census, It is on the River Leck close to the main A65, south east of the Cumbrian town of Kirkby Lonsdale...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England. It is an active 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...
parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
. Its benefice is united with those of St Wilfrid, Melling
St Wilfrid's Church, Melling
St Wilfrid's Church, Melling, is in the village of Melling, Lancashire, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building, and is an active Anglican church in the united benefice of East Lonsdale, the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the...
, St John the Baptist, Tunstall
St John the Baptist's Church, Tunstall
St John the Baptist's Church, Tunstall is located to the northeast of the village of Tunstall, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the united benefice of East Lonsdale, in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn...
, St James the Less, Tatham
Church of St James the Less, Tatham
The Church of St James the Less, Tatham, is located in the village of Tatham, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn...
, the Good Shepherd, Lowgill
Church of the Good Shepherd, Tatham
The Church of the Good Shepherd, Tatham, is located on Tatham Fell in Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn...
, and Holy Trinity, Wray
Holy Trinity Church, Wray
Holy Trinity Church, Wray, is in the village of Wray, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster, and the diocese of Blackburn...
, to form the benefice of East Lonsdale. The church 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,
History
The first church on the site was built in 1610; it was a small single-storeyed building. In 1825 it was extended and a small tower was added. The present church was built in 1878–79, being designed by the LancasterLancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architects Paley and Austin. It was damaged by fire in 1913 and rebuilt in 1915, it is said accurately to the original design, by the successors in the Lancaster practice, Austin and Paley.
Exterior
The church is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rubble
Rubble
Rubble is broken stone, of irregular size, shape and texture. This word is closely connected in derivation with "rubbish", which was formerly also applied to what we now call "rubble". Rubble naturally found in the soil is known also as brash...
with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof. Its plan consists of a 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...
with a north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
and a timber south porch, a 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...
at a lower level with a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
on the north side, and a west tower. The tower is in two stages, and is surmounted by a plain parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
and an octagonal slated spire. In the lower stage is a three-light west window containing Perpendicular tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The upper stage contains single-light bell openings. Along the south wall of the nave are four-light windows, and the chancel wall contains windows of three lights and one light. The east window has eight lights.
Interior
Inside the church a five-bayBay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
divides the nave from the north aisle. The timber roof is open. The sandstone font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
is octagonal. Much of the stained glass survived the fire, and it was reinstated by Powells
James Powell and Sons
The firm of James Powell and Sons, also known as Whitefriars Glass, were English glassmakers, leadlighters and stained glass window manufacturers...
who used Henry Holiday
Henry Holiday
Henry Holiday was an English historical genre and landscape painter, stained glass designer, illustrator and sculptor. He is considered to be a member of the Pre-Raphaelite school of art.-Early years and training:...
's original drawings. The original organ was built some time between 1850 and 1881 by Henry Jones. The present two-manual
Manual (music)
A manual is a keyboard designed to be played with the hands on a pipe organ, harpsichord, clavichord, electronic organ, or synthesizer. The term "manual" is used with regard to any hand keyboard on these instruments to distinguish it from the pedalboard, which is a keyboard that the organist plays...
organ was built in 1915 by Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison
Harrison & Harrison Ltd are a British company that make and restore pipe organs, based in Durham and established in 1861. They are well known for their work on instruments such as King's College Cambridge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Festival Hall....
. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of five bells, all cast in 1914 by John Taylor & Co.