St Thomas' Church, South Wigston

Church in South Wigston, England
52°34′48.28″N 1°8′9.74″W / 52.5800778°N 1.1360389°W / 52.5800778; -1.1360389LocationSouth WigstonCountryEnglandDenominationChurch of EnglandWebsitewigstonbenefice.org.ukHistoryDedicationThomas the ApostleConsecrated2 February 1893ArchitectureHeritage designationGrade II* listed[1]Architect(s)Stockdale HarrisonGroundbreaking26 July 1892SpecificationsLength128 feet (39 m)Width44 feet (13 m)AdministrationDioceseDiocese of LeicesterArchdeaconryLeicesterDeaneryGartree (2nd deanery)[2]ParishSouth Wigston

St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in South Wigston, Leicestershire.[3]

History

The foundation stone was laid on 26 July 1892 by Thomas Ingram[4] and it was consecrated on 2 February 1893 by Rt. Revd. Mandell Creighton the Bishop of Peterborough.[5]

It was built in brick with a Westmorland slate roof by Henry Bland to the designs of the architect Stockdale Harrison at a cost of £3,600 (equivalent to £504,343 in 2023).[6] It was 128 feet (39 m) long and 44 feet (13 m) wide.

The tower was added in 1901.

Parish status

The church is in a joint benefice with

  • All Saints' Church, Wigston Magna
  • St Wistan's Church, Wigston Magna

Organ

The church contains a pipe organ dating from 1895 by Stephen Taylor of Leicester. It was paid for by Thomas Ingram at a cost of £500 (equivalent to £72,950 in 2023)[6] and dedicated on 26 September 1875[7] by Bishop Mitchinson. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[8]

The Bells

A peal of eight bells was cast in 1901 by John Taylor & Co.[9] On 26 December 1904, seven ringers set a new world record when they rang a peal of 17,184 double Norwich Court Bob, breaking the record set in 1898 at Kidlington by the Oxford Guild. One of the ringers broke down after 10 hour 35 minutes.[10]

References

  1. ^ Historic England, "Church of St Thomas (1073656)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 May 2016
  2. ^ "St Thomas the Apostle, South Wigston". A Church Near You. The Church of England. Archived from the original on 23 November 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  3. ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus (1960). The Buildings of England. Leicestershire and Rutland. Penguin Books. p. 108.
  4. ^ "A new church for South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 30 July 1892. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. ^ "Consecration of St Thomas' Church, South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 4 February 1893. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ a b UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Organ Dedication at South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 28 September 1895. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. ^ "NPOR [K00367]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  9. ^ "South Wigston, Leics. S Thomas Ap". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Dovemaster. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  10. ^ "New World's Bell Ringing Record". Western Times. England. 29 December 1904. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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