LECKHAMPSTEAD CHURCH
The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

St Mary’s Church is a Grade I listed building and has stood on the bank of the Leck in the heart of the village since the 12th century. Its first rector was recorded in 1219, but the church was in existence before that and some features of the Norman period can still be seen today.

There is evidence from archaeological surveys of an earlier, wooden church on the opposite side of the road to the existing stone-built St Mary’s. The original stone building was much smaller than what is there today, with the nave lengthened, and the north aisle built in about 1180, and the tower added in the late 13th century.

The church has three finely carved Norman doors, a 12th century font and an effigy of a medieval knight dating back to the 14th century. The usual entrance to the church is through the south door, with its two ancient sun dials on the outside wall of the porch which dates from Tudor times. Above the door is a sculpture of a little man and fighting dragons (pictured) believed to have come from the earlier wooden building. The wooden cover for the font carries marks intended to keep witches away!
There are many interesting features to discover, including:
  • The pillars with traces of 13th century red paint
  • The green men
  • The effigy of the knight
  • The font
  • The steps to the rood loft
  • The reredos
  • The Greenwaye memorial near the altar
  • The stained glass windows
The bells of St Mary's
St Mary’s peal of bells dates back to around 1390. They are not just part of the church, they also represent an important record of village history. There are five bells and a small one.
  • The treble or Jubilee Bell weighs just over 6cwt and is inscribed God Save the Queen 1837 to 1897, God Keep His Church.
  • The second or the Leckhamstead Church of England Medical and Benefit Club Bell was cast to mark the club’s jubilee 1846 to 1896. It weighs almost 8cwt is inscribed Praise the Lord, O my Soul and forget not all His benefits.
  • The third bell dates from around 1390, weighs just over 9 cwt and is inscribed Gaude virgo mater.
  • The fourth bell from 1664 weighs almost 11cwt and is inscribed Chandler made me.
  • The tenor bell dates from 1662 and at 13cwt is the heaviest of the peal. It is also inscribed Chandler made me.
  • The Little or Children’s Bell was the offering of the children of the parish on Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee 1897 and weighs exactly 1cwt. It is inscribed Little children, love one another and praise the name of the Lord.
A Sanctus bell – first mentioned in records from 1399 – also used to be in the tower but was probably removed when work was carried out in 1897 and is now placed at the west end in the church.

After hundreds of years of service, the bells are in need a bit of a facelift! While still safe to ring, an expert survey found that work is required to keep them in good ringing order – hardly surprising as there is no record of any major work since 1897.
CAN YOU HELP?
It costs between £12,000-£14,000 per year to run St Mary's, but most people are unaware that all this is raised by parishoners and other local people, with no external support from any institution except the Parish Council which kindly pays for the grass mowing. The income is funded each year through collections, weddings, funerals, pig roast, village events and various donations made by individuals.  Our annual running costs are around £11,000. The funds available for projects to keep the church open and safe are very small after all our regular costs have been taken into consideration. We are in the process of trying to make the church look ‘loved and cared for’ with the hope of sustaining a building that has been part of the village since before 1066 for future generations. Funds available to do major works do not exist at this point. We do however have a decent working party on about 6 Saturday mornings throughout the year which get things done like cleaning gravestones, cleaning the windows, oiling the doors and general maintenance.
If you would like to donate or join the Saturday working parties, please contact the churchwardens at
church@leckhampsteadvillage.co.uk

Visitors are always welcome to visit St Mary’s at any time.

If the door is locked, there is a list in the porch of homes where you can obtain a key.

Everyone is also very welcome to any of the services which are held twice a month, usually at 10.30am.

Full details of services at St Mary’s and other churches within the North Buckingham Parish can be found here .

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