This parish church was formerly the church of an Augustinian Priory founded early C12. Formally a fortified hilltop a monastery was established there by the C7. The first Abbot Hedda became the second bishop of Lichfield in 691.

The monastery was destroyed by the Danes and not re-established until the foundation of the Augustinian Priory in early C12, the church was remodeled in the C13 with a long and wide chancel which is today’s nave.

The church was really two churches in one, part of which was for the local parishioners and extended westwards from the central tower, the other part was for the priory which is essentially the present church.

By the C16 the nave and porch, which was the parish part of the church had become dilapidated, and after its dissolution in 1539 the Priory part of the church was sold by Henry VIII to Francis Shirely of Staunton Harold, as a burial place for himself and his successors. The Breedon parishioners were allowed to use the Priory church as their own was at that time in ruins.

In 1784 the church had again fallen into disrepair and the state of the roof and walls of the north and south aisles was such that services had not been held inside for several months and the church was nearly demolished. Though the cost of rebuilding was not raised the church was repaired leaving it in its present state.

Incorporated into the church are well preserved surviving fragments of friezes from the ancient monastery. They are dated to the C8 and stylistically similar to Book of Cerne (c820) and the ‘Hedda’ stone at Peterborough Cathedral. The above grouping has two sets of saints on either side of a central female figure giving a Byzantine blessing.

Other panels contain birds, beasts, figures, and a strange lion like creature referred to as the Anglian Beast.

Dedicated to George Shirley and family this immense alabaster tomb by Richard & Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent is almost the height of the north wall.

A gisant lies at the base of the tomb, above which are two coffered arched recesses with five large figures and two infants. The tomb dedicated to John Shirley (father of George) features a Knight in armour on a chest with armourial shields on the side.

Again on the north wall is the tomb dedicated to Francis Shirley (grandfather of George) one time Sheriff of Leicestershire and Warwickshire. The tomb contains effigies of Francis and his wife Dorothy, with pairs of mourners on the side holding shields.

All three tombs are of Chellaston alabaster and made by Richard & Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent.

Tags: alabaster, chellaston, font, monastery, priory augustinian, royley, saxon, tomb

The parish church of St. Leonard is mostly a C14 building with a broached spire on the west tower.

The early C14 south aisle window has Victorian stained glass and is dated 1878. The stained glass in the east window is Victorian.

The octagonal font is also C19 as are the pews, however some of the bench ends are reused C16.

The chancel contains two alabaster chest tombs. Against the south wall is the C16 effigy of Sir Michael Poulteney (d1567) in armour with helmet, crowned with a saracen’s head, and lion at his feet.

The tomb against the north chancel wall is a monument to to John Poulteney (d1637) has a plain black top and shields in strap work cartouches around the sides.

Tags: elizabethan, font alabaster, jacobean, leonard, spire, stained glass, tomb

The west tower is around 150ft high. The south doorway is original of c1300, and most of the windows are of the Geometrical Gothic style of the same period, but they were renewed by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1865.

The painted roof has Perpendicular style head corbels.

The Perpendicular style is also relected in the font and pulpit. However, the body of the church is in the Decorative Gothic style dating from 1325-1335.

However, what makes Middleton Cheney is the stained glass work by Morris & co. The west window has a piece entitled “Three young men in the fiery furnace” by Burne-Jones.

The East window memorial to William Croome (d1865). Designed by William Morris Co 1864.The figures below the tracery lights represents the twelve tribes of the Apolcalypse. Below are representations off Adam, Noah, David, Isiah, St Peter, St. Paul, St Augustine, St Catherine, Abraham, Moses, Eve, the Virgin, Magdalene, and St. Agnes.

The Censing Angels, Seraph, St. Peter, St. Augustine, St. Catherine, Eve, the Virgin, Magdalene, and St. Agnes are by William Morris. The four beasts, and the banners are by Philip Webb. The Adoration of the Lamb and St Alban are by Burne-Jones. St. John and St. Paul by Ford Madox Brown. The twelve tribes, David, Isiah, Abraham, and Moses by Simeon Solomon.

The south window of the chancel contains panels by Ford Madox Brown depicting scenes from the old testament. The tracery light is by Philip Webb.

The two north chancel windows were designed by Burne-Jones as a memorial to his friend W.C. Buckley who was the vicar.

In addition to the stained glass the church also contains mosaics by the company of James Powell & sons.

Tags: burne-jones, corbel, decorative, font, ford maddox brown, g.g. scott, perpendicular, philip webb, pulpit, roof, stained glass, tomb, tower, william morris

All Saints parish church Norton has a C13 tower, the rest of the church is mostly in the Decorative style of C14.

The font near the entrance is C13 with recut protruding faces.

The stained glass in the north and south aisle windows contain shields and single figures of the St. Edmund, St. Stephen, St. David, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew of unknown the date and maker. However, the east window in the chancel is dated 1847 and signed by Thomas Willement known as “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”.

The north aisle contains a rustic monument to Elizabeth Verney (d1633) of a kneeling figure. The south aisle has a large alabaster memorial to Elizabeth Knightley (d1602).

The chancel contains two C17 monuments to memebers of the Breton family. A large pink and white marble monument to Nicholas Breton (d1658) and his wife, and a wall tablet to Nicholas Breton (d1624). On the north wall of the chancel is a monument by William Behnes dedicated to Charlotte Botfield. The life size sculpture is that of her son mourning his mother.

Outside on the south wall of the church is a painted sundial and an early medieval mass dial, a crude form of sundial used to determine when to ring the bells for mass, scratch into the stonework.

Tags: alabaster, font, mass dial, monument, scratch dial, sculpture, stained glass, sundial, tomb, tower, willement, william behnes