St Mary Magdalene's Church, Stapleford

St Mary Magdalene's Church, Stapleford
St Mary Magalene's Church, Stapleford,
St Mary Magdalene's Church, Stapleford Location in Leicestershire
Coordinates: 52°45′19″N 0°47′55″W / 52.7553°N 0.7987°W / 52.7553; -0.7987
OS grid reference	SK 811 182
Location	Stapleford Park, Leicestershire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Founder(s)	Robert Sherard, 4th Earl of Harborough
Dedication	Saint Mary Magdalene
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	1 January 1968
Architect(s)	George Richardson
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic Revival
Completed	1783
Specifications
Materials	Limestone

St Mary Magdalene's Church is a redundant Anglican church near the village of Stapleford, Leicestershire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust. It is situated in the grounds of Stapleford Park.

The church was built in 1783, having been designed by George Richardson for Robert Sherard, 4th Earl of Harborough. It replaced an earlier church on the site, and functioned as the Sherard family estate church as well as a parish church. Restorations were carried out in 1931 and 1967.

St Mary's is constructed in limestone ashlar, and is in Gothic Revival style. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave, north and south transepts, a chancel and a west tower containing a porch. The tower is in three stages on a moulded plinth, with string courses, a frieze, and cornices, one of which is carved with Romanesque-style decoration. The parapet is embattled and there are pinnacles at the corners. In the lowest stage is a doorway with a Tudor arch, above which is a two-light window with a pointed arch and Y-tracery. There are similar windows on the north and south sides of the tower, each with a recessed round window below it. The middle stage has a roundel on each side, the one on the west containing a clock face. In the top stage are double lancet bell openings. On each side of the nave are three three-light windows with pointed arches, and at the west end there is on each side a niche above a roundel. The transepts have parapets, and a blank four-light lancet window in each gable. The side walls of the chancel are blank, and at the east end is a four-light lancet window with transoms, on each side of which is a niche. Over the east window is a coronet carved in high relief, and a datestone inscribed with "1783". Around the exterior of the church are carved heraldic shields containing arms of the families married to the Sherards.