The Church of St Luke, Newton Harcourt

The Church of St Luke

The church and entrance gates

A brief history

The church achieved its present form in the 13th century and consists of a nave and west tower. This reflects the origins of the building as a chapel of ease. The upper half of the tower is built in ironstone whilst the older, lower part is rounded stones which may have been taken from the river.

The doorway dates back to the 15th century. In 1619, general repairs were carried out and the church was re-painted. The church door and pews were repaired in 1626.

The pulpit dates back to 1777, as does the reading desk and communion rails. At this time, the old font was demolished, and a small modern one introduced.

John Nichols, in 1798, in his ‘The History and Antiquities of the County of Leicestershire’ (Vol II) wrote of Newton Harcourt church: -

‘Mr Burton notices one coat [of arms] in this chapel, which is now gone.
On the wall on the North side the nave is painted [the inscription] ‘The gift of Samuel Ward to the poor of Newton Harcourt, yearly, sixty pennyworth of bread’. There are no interments here’.

New seats were installed in 1784.

In 1797, weatherboard was added in the belfry, and at that time also repairs were carried out to the roof. Further repairs were carried out in 1832, when new fittings and furniture were installed and two years later, in 1834, the gallery was erected in the lower part of the tower, followed in 1838 by a brick recess for the north door and a brick vestry.

In 1874, further renovations saw the gallery over the lower part of the tower removed, and it was in 1876 that the burial ground was consecrated. It was at about this time that burials ceased at Wistow.

The organ, originally from Wistow Hall, was installed into the church in 1899.

Other restorations that occurred were one bell and glass windows. In 1992 the organ was overhauled and repaired. The previously installed bell was taken down and repaired and a new wooden frame and supports for the bell were repaired at a cost of over £3,000 by Taylors of Loughborough, in 2004.

This account is taken from a leaflet to be found in the church
With kind permission of Father Philip O’Reilly, SSC

The only inscription we could find in the church was a small brass plaque on the organ which reads: -
To the Glory of God and in most loving memory of E. URSULA HALFORD who loved and adored this church. This organ formerly at Wistow Hall is restored and placed here by her nearest relations A.D.1899

The church organ