St Leonards: History and Architecture

If you are looking for a hotel in St Leonards, the area’s history and landscape can provide a helpful context when choosing a destination. Specific points of interest include the parish church, the Church of St Leonard, the White Lion Public House and the work of the Cholesbury-cum-St Leonards Local History Group. St Leonards Parish Hall is located in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and has adjoining playing fields. These features draw attention to architectural history, local heritage work and community facilities.

Church of St Leonard: rebuilding and earlier traces

The Church of St Leonard is a parish church whose origins probably date back to the 15th century. It was restored in the 17th century and in 1845. During the Civil War, it was almost completely destroyed and rebuilt in the 17th century. Its history therefore includes both a major upheaval and several phases of construction.

The church site includes a former medieval hermitage associated with the Abbey of Missenden. The nave has 16th-century roof trusses with braces. Thus, alongside the parish church’s probable date of origin, there is the site’s earlier history and specific features of the nave. These are distinct historical and architectural references that place the Church of St Leonard in context beyond its date alone.

The White Lion and its architecture

The White Lion Public House is an altered 17th-century building. Its features include a timber-framed rear wall with brick infill and an old tiled roof. Inside, there are ceiling beams and an open fireplace. The timber-framed rear wall combines a wooden frame with brick infill; the other details add to the picture of the roof and interior. In contrast to the church, the focus here is on a building’s construction and alteration, while rebuilding, restorations and the nave are particularly significant to the local history of the Church of St Leonard.

History as a shared interest

The Cholesbury-cum-St Leonards Local History Group was founded in 1963 to promote interest in the history of the four villages and their outlying hamlets. Its annual programme includes monthly talks. This draws attention not only to individual historic buildings, but also to the history of the villages and their hamlets as a shared subject. The architecture of the Church of St Leonard and the White Lion provides specific examples, while the history group takes in a broader geographical area. If you would like to include a talk in your travel plans, check the dates in that year’s programme.

Parish Hall and community playing fields

St Leonards Parish Hall is located in the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It has seven acres of adjoining playing fields. St Leonards Parish Hall Playing Field has a community children’s play area. Please follow the rules when using this community facility. The landscape setting and community spaces complement the historic buildings with a different focus: here, the subject is the Parish Hall, its playing fields and their community use. When choosing your destination, you can weigh up whether you are most interested in historic buildings, local history or community facilities.

Discover more destinations: Slough, Seer Green, Denham, Ivinghoe, Marlow, Beaconsfield, Waddesdon, Penn.

For the broader travel guide: Buckinghamshire.