Medieval church of St Guthlac, Stathern.
"St. Guthlac's Church, a Grade 2* listed building, a beautiful medieval church, is constructed of both local sandstone and ironstone materials, with a tower which has a ring of 5 bells and has a band of ringers. It is situated in a delightful setting within the village of Stathern on the southern edge of the Vale of Belvoir in northeast Leicestershire where it is within an attractive designated conservation area and has been a focal point in the village for over 800 years. It was dedicated in about AD 1200 and In 2014 we celebrated the 1300th anniversary of St. Guthlac's death. Historically it has been associated with the Dukes of Rutland of Belvoir Castle. Peterhouse College, Cambridge is the sole patron.
St. Guthlac, as a young nobleman, was a tearaway. Later he changed his ways and began a monastic life. He is said to have travelled from Repton to Crowland, where he built Crowland Abbey, in The Fens of Lincolnshire and is said to have passed through Stathern on his way.
Many walkers, cyclists and visitors visit the church whilst passing through Stathern and have commented in our visitors' book, that it is 'A well-cared for and loved church', 'Beautiful' and Thank you for being open'. The church is well worth a visit!"
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"GV II* Church. Late C13 and C17, with C17 alterations and repairs. Restored 1867- 8 by R W Johnson. Coursed squared ironstone and coursed ironstone rubble, with limestone dressings, lead roofs, except for Swithland slate roofs of N aisle and porch. Chancel, former N chancel chapel, aisled nave, N & S porches, W tower 2-bay chancel has 4-light E window with cusped heads to lights and 4-centred head, and 2-light windows to S with ogee-arched heads to lights and basket-arched heads, all with hood moulds, that to E window with label stops Small chamfered priest's door to S with Tudor-arched head. Chapel has 2-light E window, probably C17, with chamfered mullion and straight head, and 3-light window to N with round trefoil-headed lights and 4-centred heads, both with hood moulds. Blocked door to NW. Nave has 3- window clerestory of 2-light windows with Ogee-arched heads to lights, straight heads and hollow-chamfered surrounds. N aisle has 3-light window to NE with round trefoil-headed lights and 4-centred head, and lancet windows to NW and W end, all except last with hood moulds. Chamfered N doorway with imposts which have small nailhead Ornament. N porch has weathered doorway with double-chamfered head, continuous outermost, polygonal responds innermost and hood mould. S porch has similar doorway S aisle has 3-light E window with Perpendicular tracery which has fleur-de- lys ornament to small transom above central light, 4-centred head and hood mould. 3-light window to SE with pointed trefoil-headed lights and 4- centred head, 3-light window to SW with cinquefoil-headed outer lights, ogee-arched head to central light and basket-arched head and lancet window to W end, all with hood moulds, that to SW window with label stops. Fine late C13 S door has roll-moulding with fillet innermost, large dog-tooth ornament outermost, imposts and more dog-tooth ornament to hood mould. 3- stage tower has 1-light window to bottom stage W with cinquefoiled head and hood mould. 1-light window to middle-stage S with straight head, chamfered surround and transom. Cast-iron clock faces to N & S and 2-light bell- chamber openings with ogee-arched heads to lights and hood moulds. Off-set clasping buttresses and battlemented parapet with crocketed pinnacles to angles and 2 gargoyles to each side. Body of church has stone-coped gables with kneelers, those to S aisle carved with animal or demon heads. Scratch dial to one of quoins of SE angle of S aisle.
Interior: Chancel has cusped ogee-arched piscina. Tall double hollow- chamfered arch to N chancel chapel, continuous outermost, inner chamfer on polygonal responds with moulded capitals. Former chapel, now vestry, has round trefoil-headed piscina immediately to right of blocked corner fireplace. Graffiti, mostly C18, to base of windows. Between chapel and N aisle double wave-moulded arch with double-chamfered responds and capitals decorated with fleurons and heads. Image bracket to right of arch on aisle side at high level decorated with fleurons. Nave has 3-bay arcades with octagonal piers, polygonal responds, moulded capitals and double-chamfered arches. Perpendicular-style roof with arch braces to ties and wall posts on carved stone head corbels. S aisle has aumbry and remains of piscina. Tower arch has double-chamfered responds with broad fillets innermost, moulded capitals and triple-chamfered arch. Chamfered ogee-arched head to doorway in tower leading to internal stair turret. Octagonal font with 2- light blank tracery patterns to bowl including Perpendicular motifs. Blackened charity or commandment board in tower with moulded surround. Monuments: veined white and black marble wall monument in chancel with Latin inscription to Rev. Richard Cooke d. 1704 with broken segmental pediment, framing cartouche of arms. Slate wall monument with gilded incised ornament and lettering to Rev. Thos Parke d. 1839, signed Johnson, Melton. N chancel chapel formerly served as village school. Poet George Crabbe was curate here 1785-89. Three of his children were baptized here, which is where he began to write his poetry. Buildings of England Leicester 1984, 389-390."
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