The Twycross parish chuch of St James, dates from the 14th century with a 15th century tower. The church was restored in 1840 and presented with a number of stained glass panels that had originally come from Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, Saint-Denis near Paris, Le Mans cathederal, and Saint-Julien-du-Sault in Burgundy.
The church was restored in the 1840s and contains architectural memorials to Lord Howe who sponsored the restoration, and early Victorian armourial stained glass, by Thomas Willement, showing the arms of Queen Adelaide with the 21 German States, and on the south side is a large window with a the arms of the Curzon family as a central piece.
The stained glass in the East window is early French and was originally presented to King William IV who then gave to Lord Howe.
Following the French Revolution French churches lost a lot of their original stained glass. Some of it was smashed, whilst other bits were sold off. The two panels above were original in Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, which lost a third of its glass.
Tags: french, medieval, stained glass, tower
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The church of St. Leonard at Aston le Walls is mostly early C14. The base of the tower is C12/C13, as are the two south aisle windows to the right of the porch which are also early C13. The porch itself is C14 and was restored along with the rest of the church in 1870 and 1881/2 by J.M. Townsend.
The north wall of the chancel contains an C14 stone effigy of a priest, which is thought to be John de Ardele who was the priest of this church in 1348. There is also a Tudor style brass monument dedicated to Alban Butler (d1609) on the north wall.
The square stone font is Romanesque and carved with a knot pattern and the Tree of Life.
At the est of the north aisle is an inscribed tablet of white marble with black Ionic half columns, and bust on top, dedicated to Elizabeth Orme (d1692).
Tags: brass, effigy, font, medieval, monument, romanesque, tower
Built of Limestone with sandstone dressings this is mainly a C14/C15 church in the Decorated style. The upper part of the tower is in the Perpendicular style with battlements and a recessed spire.
The church contains a number of staimed glass windows by the major designers of the age. Including the work above by Tower (1928) of Simeon taking Jesus into his arms.
Other windows contain a Christ in Majesty with St Thomas, St Anne, and St George by Kempe, a Crucifixion by Hardman, and a work by Powell & sons depicting Mary Magdalen, the mother of James, and Salome at the tomb.
Lower panels of south aisle east window by Kempe, these are represenations of St Thomas, St Ann and the Virgin, and St George.
The east window is by Burlison & Grylls which tells the Easter story in nine panels.
Tags: burlison grylls, decorated, hardman, powell, spire, stained glass, tower
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St. John the Baptist is built of Limestone and Shale and dates from the C13 and C14, with the addition of a C17 porch. The chancel arch is double chamfered chancel arch and 4 bayed nave.
The west tower and door are C14 as are the corbel heads in the nave roof.
North aisle stained glass featuring decapitation of John the Baptist.
East window.
Tags: corbel, john the baptist, perpendicular, stained glass, tower
