ROCKINGHAM : CHURCH OF ST LEONARD
Church Post Code LE16 8TH
Generally open when the castle is open - check with castle office prior to visiting.
It was a fine and sunny Sunday in May 2025, and a return visit to the church of St Leonard at Rockingham Northamptonshire. The day had started with a visit to the churches at Thorpe Achurch and Pilton to the north west of Thrapston, before heading north west, just over 15 miles to Rockignham. This is a small village which recorded a population of 121 at the time of the 2021 census; the houses gathered around a single road, the A6003 which connects Corby to Uppingham, the smaller of Rutland’s two towns.
Corby is a very short distance away to the south east; the Rutland border is close by to the north. Peterborough is some 25 miles or so away to the east; leaving St Leonard at Rockingham as being the most westerly church from Peterborough covered by my sites.
There is a great deal of history here with evidence of Roman settlement in the area and a fine castle which was built on the orders of William the Conqueror around 1070. This was originally a motte-and bailey castle and was leased to Edward Watson by Henry VIII in 1544 and has been in the hands of the same family since that time.
The church here is normally closed to visitors during the week but is open to visitors on those weekends when the Castle itself is open to visitors. A quick check beforehand with the castle office established that the church would be open that day; and we were good to go.
Parking was on the side of the road, which was not easy to be fair, with lots of people out and about on this gloriously sunny and warm Sunday morning. A fairly steep incline leads to the church itself, which it set back from the main road, with some lovely views out across the fields with the tower and spire of Caldecott church in Rutland clearly visible off to the north. Slightly breathless after the incline, the church of St Leonard comes in to view from behind the trees, the wall and tower of the castle next door to the south.
It is thought that there was a chapel erected within the castle walls towards the end of the 11th century and mention was made that a chapel here was derelict by 1249. It is accepted that a church was built on the site of today’s structure during the 13th century, of which virtually nothing remains. This appears to have consisted of an aisled nave with chancel. This was very badly damaged during the English Civil War and was finally demolished, being replaced by a smaller chapel around 1650.
This consisted of nave and chancel, with north chapel, which housed the Watson family memorials. In 1776 a wooden tower was erected on the north side, which remained until it was taken down in 1838. There was much work rebuilding and restoration here during the 19th century with a small bell tower with pyramid roof being added to the north in 1845. Twenty years or so later a north aisle was added, along with a south chapel, in which the monuments previously housed in the north chapel were moved.
The church that we see today consists of nave with north aisle, north and south chapels, shallow west porch, north vestry and chancel. Pevsner described the exterior as ‘small and irregular’.
Arriving from the north east, the church, with its limestone and ironstone bands has the small bell tower at the eastern end of the north aisle; the upper stage of the tower being octagonal with a pyramid dome. There is a real incline in the church grounds and the eastern end of chancel flanked by north and south chapels, rises upwards to the south.
Three, three light windows dominate the north aisle; with no clerestory here; none is needed! The visitor enters in through the west porch, which is another Victorian addition.
A single bell hangs here, with this cast by Pack and Chapman of London in 1776. It has an interesting inscription, which was look at by Thomas North in his look at the church bells in Northamptonshire; which was published in 1878. In this North records the inscription as reading ‘Ye people all who hear us ring be faithful to our God and King’. North goes on to record a note given to him by someone connected with Rockingham church at that time, which read ’The bell bears a not inappropriate motto for the castle under whose walls the church stands held out bravely against the Puritans, marks of whose bullets may still be seen on the tower of the Norman gateway’.
Moving inside; the fixtures and fittings date from the time of the Victorian rebuilding although a carving of a female figure at prayer has great age and possibly predates the present church. The north arcade is of three bays, with octagonal piers and capitals. Moving towards the chancel, the south chapel catches the eye with its fine collection of monuments; which I looked forward very much to seeing in a few minutes.
Moving in to the chancel the reredos is partially gilded and was beautifully lit; and consists of three figures under elaborately carved canopies. Central is Christ in Majesty, with hand raised in blessing; wearing a gilded crown and carrying a gilded globe. To the left as we look at it is St Leonard, after who the church is dedicated. He is depicted carrying a chain and is the Patron Saint of prisoners. To the right is Archbishop Anselm. Who was Archbishop of Canterbury between 1093 and 1109.
The three light east window of the chancel is partially obscured by the reredos but shows three scenes from Holy Week. From left to right we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, on the night of his arrest, accepting from an angel the cup from which he is to drink from; disciples asleep in the foreground. Central we have the crucifixion, with Mary the mother of Jesus and John in their traditional positions alongside the cross. To the right we have an angel of the Lord appearing to the three Mary’s outside the empty tomb on Easter morning. ‘He is not here he is risen’.
The altar is flanked by two very fine memorials. Against the north wall is a memorial to Anne Lady Rockingham who died in 1695. This features a full length standing figure of a veiled woman, standing on a plinth and under an arch, flanked by Roman columns. At her feet is a carving of a winged skull with crossed bones; each being a memento mori symbol, reminding the onlooker that Man is mortal and will die. The wings added to the skull symbolises the safe passage of the soul towards Heaven.
Opposite against the south wall of the sanctuary is a fine memorial to Lewis 1st Earl of Rockingham who died in 1724 aged 68 years. He is depicted with his wife Catherine Sondes, whose surname survives today in the Sondes Arms, the village public house. Lewis is dressed in Roman dress and she wears an elaborate gown with ermine mantle. They stand either side of a marble sarcophagus on which dances a putto who holds a wreath in one hand and a trumpet in the other; each of which is gilded. There is symbolic value to each of these with a laurel wreath a symbol of victory and the trumpet was an often used symbol of the resurrection. Seen together the couple have led a good Christian life, death has been beaten, the victory won with souls raised up to Heaven with their bodies resurrected on the final day.
There are three windows against the north aisle, each of which is of three lights. Two of these have stained glass from Percy Bacon of London, which are of great quality. The first of these has St Faith central, flanked by St Luke who is shown with an Ox, which is his associated symbol, with ‘Luke the Beloved Physician’ written on a scroll above. To the right as we look at it is St Barnabas ‘the Son of Consolation’ written on his scroll. Below St Faith two angels with beautifully detailed wings of Peacock feathers hold a banner detailing the donors. An immediate reaction was that in style this was a window from Kempe. A quick unsuccessful search for his trademark wheatsheaf signature was unsuccessful and had me puzzled until a little subsequent research showed that it wasn’t one of his!
Bacon’s second window shows three scenes each of which has connections to the birth of Jesus; from Old Testament prophecy to the baby Jesus being presented to Simeon in the Temple. Starting with the Old Testament prophecy, Isaiah is shown holding a piece of red hot coal on tongs. This is a reference to where Isaiah was standing before God saying that he was a man of unclean lips. An angel placed a red hot coal on Isaiah’s lips, saying that this would cleanse him and take away his sins, allowing him to prophecy.
One of these prophesies is shown here; with a banner reading ‘Behold the Virgin shall conceive and give birth to a son’. This is from Isaiah Chapter 7 verse 14, and foretells the birth of Jesus.
Central we have the Virgin and Child, with Mary the mother of Jesus dressed in her traditional blue cloak and with Lilies alongside symbolising purity. Two angels below hold a banner which reads ‘Un to us a child is born’; this again coming from Isaiah; this time Chapter 9 verse 6.
To the right we see Simeon, to who Jesus was presented in the Temple when he was 40 days old. Script here reads ‘A light to lighten the Gentiles’, which is part of the Nunc Dimitis, the Song of Simeon.
One further window here is courtesy of Herbert Bryans. This shows Peter central who holds the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven; flanked by John and James, the ‘Sons of Thunder’. John holds a chalice, out of which rises a serpent. Christian legend states that John was given poisoned wine whilst at Ephesus. John prayed over the wine and the poison came out in the form of a serpent. James is identifiable by his Pilgrim’s staff and scallop shell. Close by, on a two light window, St Leonards carries chains.
The church here is most noted for the Watson family monuments in the south chapel. These include an interesting monument which is two figures from different monuments, which appears to have been laid on a chest tomb from a third monument; this appearing to be the reassembling of what could be salvaged after the destruction of the English Civil War. The male figure is thought to be Sir Edward Watson and the female Dorothy Montague; the father and grandmother of Sir Lewis Watson who had this reassembled after the Civil War.
The couple lay recumbent; he wearing armour; with immaculate moustache and she in long flowing gown, holding what is liable to be a prayer book; with her facial features weathered quite badly. A little graffiti covers the monument. Children line up on a panel to the north side of the monument, heads central in elaborate Elizabethan ruffs; with these having much damage, which includes hands being broken off, with some traces of the original paintwork still evident.
The recumbent couple face the east window, which is a depiction of the ascension, erected in memory of Richard Watson who died in 1853. This work in vibrant colours is the work of George Caleb Hedgeland, who had a short lived but illustrious career as a stained glass artist, having work displayed at the Great Exhibition of 1851 when he was in his mid 20’s. His work can be seen in cathedrals at Lincoln, Norwich and Ely along with Kings College Cambridge.
There are a couple of beautifully carved free standing monuments in the south chapel here here, with one of these in memory of Margaret Watson who died in 1713. This consists of a female figure standing on a plinth, with elaborate gown, flanked by Corinthian columns and draped urns. This was carved by William Palmer who was seen as one of the most important sculptors in England during the early years of the 18th century.
Another free standing monument is to Arabella Oxenden, who was the sister of Lewis Earl of Rockingham, who was the second wife of James Oxenden MP. She died in 1734, outliving her husband by some 26 years; and is depicted barefoot, standing on a plinth, holding up a long flowing gown which still trails on the floor.
Among the wall monuments is a large mounted tablet, with circular panel is the memorial to Grace, who was the wife of the 1st Lord Sondes; and who died aged 46 years in 1777. Her memorial reads simply ‘The best of wives, The best of mothers The best of women’ with the epitaph below stating that ‘her life was employed in continual acts of benevolence’.
The church grounds are interesting, with one chest tomb close to the chancel having its own Grade II Listing; this dating from the 18th century and being to someone from the Walker family who were stewards at Rockingham Castle. One gravestone in slate, has an inscription which indicates how brief and harsh lives could be at that time. It is for Dinah, the daughter of John and Ann Miles, who died in September 1823 aged 16 years. The inscription reads ‘My years on earth they were but few, I wasted like the morning dew, And I no longer could stop here, So left the friends I lov’d most dear, I hope my friends will shed no tears, I must lie here till Christ appears’.
Okay, as Pevsner said it might be ‘small and irregular’ from the outside but this is a little gem of a church and it was great to see inside it again. Full of history and interest and it was great to be able to see inside it again. Well worth taking a look at if you get the chance.
