OS: SP245226
Bledington, St Leonard
The parish Church of St Leonard, Bledington, is situated at the eastern edge of the village where Church Road meets Church Lane. The church, like much of the village, is built of Cotswold stone. There is limited parking on the nearby streets.
Bledington is on the border with Oxfordshire and the eponymous Oxfordshire Way runs along the southern edge of the church yard.
The tower occupies the northwest corner of the church with two arches opening on to the nave and south aisle. A short wooden staircase leads up from the south aisle into the ringing room. The headroom as you pass under the arch is quite low. The room looks over the nave through the second arch. There is plenty of room to ring the six bells but little extra space for anyone not ringing.
2010-09-25
I visited for the first time on Saturday 25th September 2010 as the second tower [1st, 3rd] on the Four Shires Guild Annual Walking Tour.
I started by ringing up the Tenor followed by a touch of Grandsire Doubles on bell #5. We were then joined for some Rounds and Call Changes by a girl who just happened to be at the church as part of a group doing their bronze Duke of Edinburgh's Award. This was followed by a touch of Plain Bob Minor on bell #5 and ended by ringing down bell #3. Nice bells.
The Bells
The tower has a ring of 6 bells with a tenor weighing 8-0-13 in G. Dove's Guide includes details of the bells at St Leonard and more information is provided by the Gloucester & Bristol Diocesan Association of Church Bell Ringers.
