Church of St Leonard, Marston Bigot

The Church of St Leonard stands in the village of Marston Bigot in Somerset. It replaced an earlier church that the 7th Earl of Cork and Orrery had removed because it spoiled his view from Marston House. The new building opened in 1789 and is now a Grade I listed structure. It honours Leonard of Noblac, a 6th-century French saint. The nave has three bays with rounded windows and an ornate hammerbeam roof. Inside, the east window holds 15th-century stained glass from Altenberg Abbey near Cologne. The glass shows a scene from the early life of St Bernard, who led the Cistercian order. The tower contains eight bells, restored in 2003. In 1844 the architect Edward Davis made changes to the church. The 11th Earl Waldegrave served as rector here from 1905 to 1912 and lived in the nearby rectory, which is also listed. Visitors find a quiet country church with fine craftsmanship. The hammerbeam roof and enriched window surrounds show skilled work. The medieval glass glows with colour in the east window. The tower rises above the nave, its bells still rung today. The rectory where the earl once lived sits close by, adding to the village’s historic feel.