St Thomas' Church, South Wigston
| St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston | |
|---|---|
 St Thomas the Apostle, South Wigston | |
  St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston Location within Leicestershire | |
| 52°34′48.28″N 1°8′9.74″W / 52.5800778°N 1.1360389°W | |
| Location | South Wigston |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | wigstonbenefice.org.uk |
| History | |
| Dedication | Thomas the Apostle |
| Consecrated | 2 February 1893 |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed[1] |
| Architect(s) | Stockdale Harrison |
| Groundbreaking | 26 July 1892 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 128 feet (39 m) |
| Width | 44 feet (13 m) |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Diocese of Leicester |
| Archdeaconry | Leicester |
| Deanery | Gartree (2nd deanery)[2] |
| Parish | South Wigston |
St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in South Wigston, Leicestershire.[3]
History[edit]
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[edit]
The church is in a joint benefice with
- All Saints' Church, Wigston Magna
- St Wistan's Church, Wigston Magna
Organ[edit]
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[edit]
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[edit]
- ^ Historic England, "Church of St Thomas (1073656)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 May 2016
- ^ "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.
- ^ Pevsner, Nikolaus (1960). The Buildings of England. Leicestershire and Rutland. Penguin Books. p. 108.
- ^ "A new church for South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 30 July 1892. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Consecration of St Thomas' Church, South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 4 February 1893. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Organ Dedication at South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 28 September 1895. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "NPOR [K00367]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "South Wigston, Leics. S Thomas Ap". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Dovemaster. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
- ^ "New World's Bell Ringing Record". Western Times. England. 29 December 1904. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
