LEYLAND HUNDRED 



LEYLAND 



springing. There is an ascent of five steps from the 

 floor of the tower to that of the nave, which gives to 

 the building when entered from the west door a 

 certain sense of dignity which it would not otherwise 

 possess. The whole of the east wall of the tower, 

 which including the buttresses is 35 ft. 6 in. in width, 

 is exposed to the n.ive and of bare stone. Above the 

 arch is an opening 4 ft. high from the bcll-ringlng 

 chamber, and the marks of the former high-pitched 

 roof are clearly visible, the extreme apex only being 

 hidden by the modern ceiling. Exterr.ally the tower 

 has a moulded plinth, with diagonal buttresses of four 

 stages on its west side and square ones on the east, 

 going up to within a short distance of the string 

 course below the embattled parapet, the angle pin- 

 nacles of which are an early 19th-century addition. 

 The string course has two stone gargoyles on each 

 side except on the east, where there is only one, and 



small niche with moulded jambs and head, and above 

 these again a small semicircular-headed opening. The 

 lower portion of the second stage of each of the 

 western buttresses has also a semicircular-headed niche 

 with moulded heads and jambs. The north and 

 south sides of the tower are plain in the lower part, 

 but have a niche at the same level as that on the west 

 side and a small glazed single light to the ringing 

 chamber above. There is a clocic-facc on the north, 

 south and west sides. 



The fittings, including the font and pulpit, are all 

 modern, but there are some fragments of 16th-century 

 glass in the middle window in the south side of the 

 nave,' and on the sill of one of the adjoining 

 windows are preserved in a glass cise copies of Foxc's 

 Acts and Monuments, Jewell's Jpo/ogy, and A Preventa- 

 tive Against Popery in two volumes. 



There is a ring of eight bells, two being added in 



Leyeand Church from the South-east 



the battlement has a shield in the middle merlon on 

 each side, while on the west side the string course has 

 a curious carving of a bird together with a four-leaved 

 flower." The belfry windows are of three lights 

 under a four-centred arched head, and the west door 

 has moulded jambs and head with hood mould. The 

 west window is of three lights under a low pointed 

 head, with new mullions, sill and tracery, but the 

 jambs are the original ones. Above the window is a 



1897 to the original peal of six cast by Abraham 

 Rudhall of Gloucester in 1722. The new bells 

 are by Taylor of Loughborough. Three of the 

 old bells appear to have been recast during the last 

 century.' 



The curfew is rung at 8 p.m. from Michaelmas to 

 Lady Day, and at 9 p.m. from Lady Day to Michael- 

 mas. There is also a morning bell formerly rung at 

 5.55 a.m., now at 7 a.m. throughout the year.* 



1 The bird is sometimes said to be a 

 woodcock, and to denote the building of 

 the tower by Seth Woodcock, rector, 

 1494-1516. Its long bill, however, gives 

 it rather the appearance of a snipe. The 

 carving, however, is crude and difficult to 

 distinguish clearly from below. 



^ For arms formerly in the windows of 

 Lcyland Church see Kuerden MSS. vi, fol. 

 49*. 



8 The inscription! on the bells are as 



follows : Treble : ' May Jesus Christ be 

 praised. The gift of Margaret Kellctt, 

 1897. John Taylor, founder, Loughboro.' 

 2. 'Let God be feared. 1722. Chr ; 

 Sudell : Vicar.' 3. 'The Church prosper, 

 A-R ■ 1722. Thos. Blacklach,Wm.Oakcn- 

 shaw, Robert Sibbarin, John Morris, Ch. 

 Wardens, 1835.' 4. 'John Stephenson, 

 Canal Foundry, Preston. S.M : H'B : 

 J.M. Ch. Wardens 1835.' 5. 'Quatuor 

 nos ante fuimus, 1722. Recast 1885.' 



6. * M' Gardner Baldwin, Vicar. Lance- 

 lot Lawrenson, Ch. Warden. John Ste- 

 phenson, Canal Foundry, Preston, 1835,' 



7. ' Mag's Quotidie dilectabimus.' Tenor; 

 * Morning, evening, noon and night, praise 

 God. The gift of John Stanning, 1897. 

 John Taylor, founder, Loughboro*; Memo- 

 ries of Sunny Leylandj by Rev. E. G. Mar- 

 shall, 1907. 



* Ibid. 



