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Summary

St Leonard's Tower is the surviving remains of a 15th century Chapel of Ease for St Mary's Wolborough. By the early 19th century the chapel had fallen into disrepair and in 1835 it was replaced by a larger church just to the south-west. The nave of the chapel was demolished for road widening but the tower was retained by public demand.

Location

Protected Status

• Listed Building (II*) 1256725: ST LEONARDS TOWER

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX87SE/4
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*): 464617
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX87SE10

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHAPEL (Built, XV - 1401 AD (Between) to 1500 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, SX87SE10 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV338353.

Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry (Unattributed Sites and Monuments Register Entry). SDV263.

St Leonard's Tower, Newton Abbot. Remains of ancient chapel, demolished in 1835 for road widening. Built of limestone with an embattled top, it has a peal of six bells and is used as a clock tower. Mentioned in Bishop Grandison's register of 1350.

Harris, S. G., 1899, Notes on the History of Newton Abbot, 285-97 (Article in Serial). SDV338239.

Bligh Bond, F., 1903, Devonshire Screens and Rood Lofts. Part II, 478 (Article in Serial). SDV6113.

St Leonard's Tower, Newton Abbot. Carved chancel screen and pulpit. Sold after church removed in 1836.

Cresswell, B. F., 1908, Untitled Source, 2-4 (Monograph). SDV338352.

Joce, T. J., 1930 - 1931, St Leonard's Chapel, Newton Abbot, 374-5 (Article in Serial). SDV338348.

Ancient way-chapel of St Leonard, recorded in 1350 register.

Masson Phillips, E. N., 1937, The Ancient Stone Crosses of Devon: Part I, 328 (Article in Serial). SDV240502.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1946, Ancient Devon Parish Churches within a Ten Mile Radius of Newton Abbot, 123-52 (Article in Serial). SDV312246.

Fryer Cornelius, C., 1947, Fittings, Furnishings and Finishings of the Ancient Devon Parish Churches within a Ten Mile Radius of Newton Abbot, 81-90 (Article in Serial). SDV312247.

Devon County Council, 1975, Newton Abbot Town Trails, 57, 59 (Article in Monograph). SDV352459.

One of the best known landmarks in the town. The chapel formerly attached to the tower was demolished in 1836 to make way for a new and larger church which now houses many of the artefacts from the old chapel. The original St. Leonards is first mentioned in a document of 1350 although it is possible that the church dates back to 1220. Newton Abbot is said to be unique in having a tower without a church and a church without a tower. The tower houses a small collection of items of local historic and cultural interest. Outside the tower a stone records that William Prince of Orange, later William III, first read his proclamation to 'maintain the liberties of England and the protestant religion' at Newton Abbot.

Timms, S. C., 1976, The Devon Urban Survey, 1976. First Draft, 137 (Report - Survey). SDV341346.

Only the tower of the chapel still stands. It is possible that a chapel stood on this site from the time of the grante of St. Leonard's Fair in 1269.

Department of Environment, 1982, Newton Abbot Resurvey Notes, 58 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV338349.

15th century tower of church demolished in 1836. Stands on island in middle of road. The church was replaced by a new one with the same dedication further along Wolborough Street.

Dudley, E. R., 1982, St. Leonards Tower (Worksheet). SDV338249.

Tower renovated and bells rehung in 1972-1973. Used as a museum. Museum material .

Unknown, 1982, Weighty Treasure, 7 (Article in Serial). SDV348891.

Historic time and iron chest formerly in St. Leonard's Tower is now in the Town Hall. The chest carries the date 1612 and the names John Reynell, then Rector of Wolborough and Nicholas Par, church warden. However, the chest could be older, perhaps 15th century, the date 1612 referring to the year it was repaired and given to the church. Other details: Wolborough Parish File.

Department of Environment, 1983, Newton Abbot, 35 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV298253.

The tower of a 15th century church of which the rest was demolished in 1836 for road widening. A new church was built nearby with the same dedication. Slightly battered square stone tower with break halfway up. Castellated parapet. One double lancet window to each elevation and west door. Island site at road crossing.

Unknown, 1983, Wolborough Street Excavations, Newton Abbot, 1983 (Leaflet). SDV359071.

Rendle, R. S., 1986, The Goldsmiths and Silversmiths of Plymouth, Devon, circa 1600-1800, 207 (Article in Serial). SDV14811.

Paten. By William Parry, 1749 at St Leonard's Tower in Newton Abbot.

Council for the Care of Churches, 1996, Wolborough St Leonard (Report - Survey). SDV338238.

Built as a chapel of ease to Wolborough, consisting only of a nave and tower. Fell out of use in 1830s. Nave demolished 1834. Contains 6 bells of 1772, 2 of 1887 and a clock.

Exeter Archaeology, 2001, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Redevelopment at Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot (Report - Assessment). SDV310051.

St Leonard's Tower, which is the tower of a 15th-century church demolished in 1836, is at the north-eastern end of Wolborough Street. It is constructed of squared Plymouth stone with moulded string courses and a battlemented parapet. It features two-light pointed arched windows on each side and large clocks in the west and east walls. The north-east side has a roof scar from the demolished nave.

Exeter Archaeology, 2001, Archaeological Assessment of Proposed Redevelopment at Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot, 2, 4 (Report - Assessment). SDV310051.

St Leonard's Chapel is first mentioned in 1350 but may well date to the 13th century. Only the 14th century tower stands today; the nave was demolished in the early 19th century.

Oakey, N. J., 2004, Bradley Lane, Newton Abbot: Desk Based Assessment, 20 (Report - Assessment). SDV338211.

Other details: Fig 3.

Gent, T. H. + Leverett, M., 2007, Archaeological Assessment of the Proposed Redevelopment at Wolborough Street, Bank Street and East Street, Newton Abbot, 2, 9,13 (Report - Assessment). SDV338207.

Evaluation trenches excavated in Wolborough Street in 2007 found possible evidence for the south wall of the former church in Trench 6 with associated 18th century pottery. Cut features in Trenches 4 and 11 possibly represented robber trenches dug during the demolition of the church in the mid 19th century. Other details: Fig 5.

English Heritage, 2012, National Heritage List for England (National Heritage List for England). SDV348729.

St. Leonards Tower, Wolborough Street. Tower of a 15th century church of which the rest was demolished in 1836 for road widening. It is now on an island site. Squared Plymouth stone with a pointed granite arch over a 20th century plank door in the south-west elevation. Slightly battered, in 2 stages delineated by moulded string courses, one below a battlemented parapet, the other below the upper stage which has 2-light pointed-arched windows to the top of each side and large clocks to the west and east sides. The north-east side bears traces of the roof line of the former nave, and a pointed-arched recess with a small trefoil-headed window. To the base of this side is a granite plaque with the inscription: 'This tower was refurbished in 1972-1973 by the people of Newton Abbot in memory of Councillor Arthur Claude Shobbrook, JP CA who died on July 17 July 1970'. Date listed: 16th July 1949.

Harrison, V., 2021, Conversion of the former St. Leonard’s Church into Newton’s Place (Report - Survey). SDV364495.

St Leonard's Chapel was a Chapel of Ease for St Mary's Wolborough. By the early 19th century the chapel had fallen into disrepair and in 1835 it was replaced by a larger church just to the south-west. The nave of the chapel was demolished for road widening but the tower was retained by public demand.

Ordnance Survey, 2021, MasterMap 2021 (Cartographic). SDV364015.

Tower depicted.

Dudley, E. R., Aug 1982, Reredos, Sandeford Orlegh, Highweek (Illustration). SDV358414.

Scale drawing of the reredos which is now at Sandford Orleigh.

Unknown, Post 1803, 1508M Devon/Maps: Newton Abbot/M1 (Record Office Collection). SDV338354.

Large scale plan described as post-1803 shows the chapel before demolition.

Dudley, E. R., Sept 1982, Screen Fragment. St. Leonard's Chapel, Newton Abbot (Illustration). SDV359073.

Scale drawings of screen fragment and town stocks in St. Leonard's Tower.

Unknown, Unknown, St. Leonard's Tower, Newton Abbot (Photograph). SDV350292.

Photographs of St. Leonard's Tower, one taken circa 1911, the other earlier.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV4762 - CHURCH PLATE (XVIII to Unknown - 1701 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV4206 - Bradley Lane Assessment
• EDV4214 - Wolborough Street, Bank Street & East Street, Newton Abbot
• EDV756 - Wolborough Street Redevelopment

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