Site of possible old minster church, Stoneleigh
The tympanum at St Mary's Stoneleigh north door, 2017.
Image courtesy of William Arnold
The north door at St Mary's Stoneleigh, 2017.
Image courtesy of William Arnold
Description of this historic site
Site of possible old minster church pre-Conquest on or close to the present church of St Mary's.
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Notes about this historic site
1 Possible minster church, Stoneleigh.
Bassett suggests that Stoneleigh’s church, St. Mary’s, may have been an old minster, and says that there were at least two priests serving it in 1086 and its large parish at first also contained Kenilworth and Baginton.
Bassett goes on to say that it is possible that the church was no more than a parochial chapel of the church of Coventry – but the evidence on which this possibility must be considered is both insubstantial and late.
- For the sources of these notes, see the
- Timetrail record
- produced by the Historic Environment Record.
Comments
The elaborate north door certainly bears out the supposition. The carving on the tympanum variously interpreted fits Pevsner’s description as two dragons their necks interlocked biting their own tails – and above two snakes do the same. White’s directory late !9th century states a recumbent stone figure was found in the upright position in the wall while digging the foundation of a mausoleum. It is supposed to be in memory of Geoffrey de Muschamp, Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield in the Reign of King John. I have come across no other mention of this, which if so makes me wonder what suggested the identification. If this is correct, it would certainly be suggestive of a minster church.
According to the late 19th century Whites Directory of Warwickshire at some time it does not make it very clear between the onversion of Mercia to Christianity; the 19th century Stoneleigh was a deanery, and Coventry an arch Deanery of the diocese of Lichfield.
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