St Peter ad Vincula Church, Hampton Lucy explained

St Peter ad Vincula, Hampton Lucy
Location:Hampton Lucy, Warwickshire
Country:England
Language(S):English
Denomination:Church of England
Heritage Designation:Grade I listed
Designated Date:5 April 1967
Architect:Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson
Style:Gothic Revival
Years Built:1822–1826
Completed Date:1826
Parish:Hampton Lucy
Benefice:Hampton Lucy with Charlecote and Loxley
Deanery:Fosse
Archdeaconry:Warwick
Diocese:Diocese of Coventry
Bishop:The Rt Rvd Dr Christopher Cocksworth
Rector:The Revd Andy Larkin
Asstpriest:The Revd John Horton
Reader:Ann Fawcett
Chris Farr
Warden:Alison Harrison
Elaine Rajkowskie
Parishadmin:Victoria Stokes

St Peter ad Vincula is the Grade I listed Church of England parish church of Hampton Lucy, Warwickshire and is part of the Barford Group of Churches.[1] [2] It was built in the 1820s on the site of a demolished medieval church.[3]

History

The medieval church of St Peter originally stood "not exactly on the same site" as the present church.[4] It was demolished in 1822 when the Lucy family of Charlecote Park employed Thomas Rickman and Henry Hutchinson to design and build a new parish church in the Gothic Revival style. The result is described as "one of the best examples of Victorian Gothic style in Warwickshire"[5] and the "magnum opus" of Rickman and Hutchinson.

The first phase of construction consisted of the ashlared limestone nave and tower, designed by Hutchinson and Rickman respectively. The nave consists of six bays with a north and south aisle. The external walls sit on a moulded plinth and the window hoods, parapet and gables are richly carved. The tower has three stages, terminating in octagonal pinnacles and a pierced, crenellated parapet. In 1858 Sir George Gilbert Scott was employed to add a chancel and north porch, both of which are richly decorated in the Gothic Revival style. A statue of St Peter in chains sits over the north porch along with the Lucy arms.

The east window, depicting the life of St Peter, was restored after it was damaged when an American aircraft crashed nearby during the Second World War.[6] The building was Grade I listed on 5 April 1967 as a "very good example of C19 church architecture". The only remaining fabric of the medieval church are two groups of tiles in the floor of the south aisle, showing heraldic symbols and designs of foliage.

Bells

Today there is only one bell in the tower, cast by Thomas Mears in 1826. It was intended to be the tenor of a ring of eight, but the other bells and framework were never added. There was a ring of five in the tower of the original medieval church, cast by Richard Keene of Woodstock in 1672–1673, which is now classed as a "lost ring". It was probably last rung in 1822 before the old church was demolished; the tenor weighed about 8cwt.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Hampton Lucy – St. Peter ad Vincula . www.achurchnearyou.com . 1 March 2021 . en.
  2. Web site: Contact Us The Barford Group of Churches . barfordchurches.org.uk . 1 March 2021.
  3. Web site: St Peter ad Vincula Church, Hampton Lucy . Warwickshire & Coventry . 1 March 2021.
  4. Web site: Hampton Lucy . www.warksbells.co.uk . 1 March 2021.
  5. Web site: Express . Britain . Hampton Lucy, St Peter ad Vincula Church Historic Warwickshire Guide . Britain Express . 1 March 2021 . en.
  6. News: Bishop's Tribute to Archdeacon Ward . 1 March 2021 . www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk . Warwick and Warwickshire Advertiser . 26 October 1945.