St Leonard's Church is in the village of Balderstone, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Whalley, the archdeaconry of Blackburn, and the diocese of Blackburn.[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.[2]
St Leonard's Church, Balderstone | |
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St Leonard's Church, Balderstone Location in the Borough of Ribble Valley | |
53°47′08″N 2°33′37″W / 53.7855°N 2.5604°W | |
OS grid reference | SD 631,323 |
Location | Balderstone, Lancashire |
Country | England |
Denomination | Anglican |
Website | St Leonard, Balderstone |
History | |
Status | Parish church |
Founded | 1504 (?) |
Dedication | Saint Leonard |
Consecrated | (new church) 1854 |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Active |
Heritage designation | Grade II |
Designated | 13 March 1986 |
Architect(s) | R. B. Rampling Austin and Paley |
Architectural type | Church |
Style | Gothic Revival |
Completed | 1906 |
Specifications | |
Materials | Sandstone, slate roofs |
Administration | |
Province | York |
Diocese | Blackburn |
Archdeaconry | Blackburn |
Deanery | Whalley |
Parish | St Leonard, Balderstone |
Clergy | |
Vicar(s) | Revd Charles Jefferson |
Laity | |
Organist(s) | Andrew Evans |
Churchwarden(s) | Eric Mather Peter Singleton |
Parish administrator | Alice Taylor |
St Leonard's was founded as a chapel of ease to the parish church in Blackburn during the reign of Henry VII; the usual date given is 1504. The fabric of the building deteriorated until in 1852 it was decided to replace it with a new church. Construction of this started during that year, and the present church was consecrated in 1854. It was designed by the Preston architect R. B. Rampling.[3] The tower and spire were added in 1906–07 by the Lancaster architects Austin and Paley.[4][5]
The church is constructed in sandstone rubble with slate roofs. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave, and a chancel at a lower level with a north organ chamber and a projection to the south.[2] There is a polygonal baptistry at the west end, and a slim tower and spire at the west end of the north side of the nave. The baptistry has three windows, and above this is a three-light west window with a pointed head. The nave is divided into bays by buttresses, each bay containing a two-light window containing Geometric tracery. Projecting from the roof, on each side, are two timber dormer windows. The tower has diagonal buttresses, and contains a doorway with a pointed arch. The bell openings have two lights, and are louvred. The tower is surmounted by a parapet and a recessed spire. The east window has five lights under a pointed head, and contains Geometric tracery. Inside the church is an open timber roof.[2] The two-manual pipe organ was made in 1872 by Henry Willis, and restored in 1974 by N. P. Mander.[6]
In the churchyard, to the south of the church is a sandstone sundial dating possibly from the early 19th century, and re-erected at the beginning of the 20th century. It has an octagonal sandstone base with five limestone columns and a circular sandstone top containing a brass gnomon. The sundial is listed at Grade II.[7] The churchyard also contains the war graves of six World War I soldiers.[8]