The parish church of All Saints West Haddon is C12 with C14 and C17 additions. Inside the church has three bay arcades with double-chamfered arches with octagonal piers.

The double-chamfered chancel arch was restored in the 19th century. The perpendicular nave roof retains some original timbers and has angel corbels.

A piscina can be seen in south wall of the chancel, the east window contains C19 stained glass.

The C12 Romanesque square font has scenes on its sides depicting the baptism of Christ, the nativity, Christ in glory between the eagle of St. John and the angel of St. Matthew, and the entry into Jerusalem.

The south aisle east window is by Pugin, the adjacent south aisle window is C19.

as are the other stained glass windows in the church.

Tags: font, piscina, pugin, romanesque, stained glass, tower

The parish church of St Margaret of Antioch was rebuilt and extended in the 14th and 15th centuries incorporating elements from an earlier 12th century church.

The Romanesque sandstone font has a base of three crouching figures supporting a circular bowl with a bead decoration.

During the 14th century Sir Thomas de Astley had the chancel, nave arcades, and north aisle rebuilt on a grand scale. The height of the nave was also increased with the addition of a clerestory in the mid C14.

Fragments of C16 Flemish stained glass are incorporated into the north aisle window.

The chancel east window was installed in 1863 the inscription reads: “This window is inserted by C. L. Swainson and Harriet his wife.” It is not known who the manufacturer or designer were.

The chancel windows have double label stops carved with figures, exotic beasts and foliage.

Also in the chancel is a badly eroded medieval stone effigy of a lady c1300.

Tags: font, margaret, stained glass, tower

Due to the small population of the parish St. Peter’s has been closed and reopened a number of times during the last 150 years. It finally ceased to hold any regular services in the 1950s.

Nowadays it is owned by the Churches Conservation Trust, and remains a consecrated building, although services are only held here once a year.

The church originally served the nearby medieval village which was abandoned some time during the 14th century. The church continued to serve the villages of Flecknoe, Sawbridge, and Nethercote. However, a smaller church was built in the late 19th century in the village of Flecknoe which is about 2-3 miles away as the crow files. The building was paid for by the railway company in 1891 as compensation for the disruption caused at Wolfhampcote. The railway itself was closed to passengers in 1952 but carried freight until 1963.

The pews in the foreground are medieval as can be seen by the low shelf which is for resting elbows, not books. The date of these pews is thought to be 14th century but there is some evidence for an earlier 11th century date. The font is Anglo-Saxon. The octagonal pulpit with inlaid panels is dated 1790.

The chancel contains a modern pointed traceried five-light window, and the altar rails are also modern. The floor is paved with a number of memorial slabs from the 18th century, and the walls contain 19th century memorials to the Tibbits family.

On either side of the chancel arch are half-round moulded corbels. The steep-pitched king-post roof in the chancel consisting of three trusses, and is probably 14th century.

A C14 ogee-headed piscina with circular basin is inset into the south wall of the north chapel, indicating that an altar was once there. The north aisle has a memorial cross to John Truslove who died aged 16.

The sanctuary contains memorial slabs and a brass memorial to Frances Benyon wife of parish minister (died 1687).

Tags: brass, font, peter, pews, pulpit, tower

The south Leicestershire parish church of St. Nicholas in South Kilworth. Is late 12th early 13th century. The tower with its effigy of St. Nicholas is 14th century, and the broached spire was added in the 15th century. The clock was installed in 1921 and is a memorial to those that died in the first world war.

Built in the late Norman period the church has been restored a number of times, and largely rebuilt in 1868-69, under the instructions of Rev. Assheton Pownall by G.F. Bodley. George Bodley was known as the chief exponent of 14th century English Gothic, and the leading ecclesiastical architect in England. He is regarded as the leader of the resurgence of interest in English and northern European late-medieval design.

The east window in the south aisle contains the Pownall motto “OFFICIUM PRAESTO”.

The chancel window left main panel depicts St. Mary the Virgin with the subscription “St. Mary” below which is shown the Annunciation. The centre main panel displays the Crucifixion subscribed “It is Finished” beneath which is the Nativity with the Holy Family in Bethlehem. The right main panel is inscribed “St. John” and illustrates St. John the Baptist; beneath is the Resurrection. The inscription at the window’s base reads “To the glory of God in memory of the Revd. Assheton Pownell M.A. Rector of this Parish and Archdeacon of Leicester. This Window was placed by his parishioners and friends June 1887”.

West window of nave. From top to bottom, the left panel contains a small medallion enclosing a cherub with blue wings above a seated Resurrection angel with red wings, beneath which is the Virgin Mary robed in blue and standing at the foot of a coffin. At the top of the central panel, facing forwards stands the resurrected Christ. Beneath him lies the central part of the coffin with Mary Magdalene kneeling, dressed in red. The right panel contains another cherub in a medallion, this time in brown with red wings, above a second seated resurrection angel with blue wings. Below at the head of the coffin stands St. John.

The window was commisioned by Catherine Countess Beauchamp from Messrs Hardman & Co of Birmingham. The actual artist is unknown.

The carved pulpit was installed as a first world war memorial. The font is Norman from the late 12th early 13th century thought to have been constructed from the capital of a Norman column.

The remnant of an altar tomb and the effigy are of a 15th century rector Richard Wythnale who died 1439. The reredos panel contains a rare iconic "Lily Crucifixion", of which there are only two other stone sculptures in the UK.

Details of church history supplied by Sam Lloyd.

Tags: effigy, font, G.F. Bodley, hardman, nicholas, spire, stained glass