St Thomas' Church, South Wigston

St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston
St Thomas the Apostle, South Wigston
St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston Location within Leicestershire
52°34′48.28″N 1°8′9.74″W
Location	South Wigston
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	wigstonbenefice.org.uk
History
Dedication	Thomas the Apostle
Consecrated	2 February 1893
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II* listed[1]
Architect(s)	Stockdale Harrison
Groundbreaking	26 July 1892
Specifications
Length	128 feet (39 m)
Width	44 feet (13 m)
Administration
Diocese	Diocese of Leicester
Archdeaconry	Leicester
Deanery	Gartree (2nd deanery)[2]
Parish	South Wigston

St Thomas’ Church, South Wigston is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in South Wigston, Leicestershire.[3]

History

The foundation stone was laid on 26 July 1892 by Thomas Ingram[4] and it was consecrated on 2 February 1893 by Rt. Revd. Mandell Creighton the Bishop of Peterborough.[5]

It was built in brick with a Westmorland slate roof by Henry Bland to the designs of the architect Stockdale Harrison at a cost of £3,600 (equivalent to £504,343 in 2023).[6] It was 128 feet (39 m) long and 44 feet (13 m) wide.

The tower was added in 1901.

Parish status

The church is in a joint benefice with

• All Saints' Church, Wigston Magna
• St Wistan's Church, Wigston Magna

Organ

The church contains a pipe organ dating from 1895 by Stephen Taylor of Leicester. It was paid for by Thomas Ingram at a cost of £500 (equivalent to £72,950 in 2023)[6] and dedicated on 26 September 1875[7] by Bishop Mitchinson. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.[8]

The Bells

A peal of eight bells was cast in 1901 by John Taylor & Co.[9] On 26 December 1904, seven ringers set a new world record when they rang a peal of 17,184 double Norwich Court Bob, breaking the record set in 1898 at Kidlington by the Oxford Guild. One of the ringers broke down after 10 hour 35 minutes.[10]

References

1. Historic England, "Church of St Thomas (1073656)", National Heritage List for England, retrieved 13 May 2016
2. "St Thomas the Apostle, South Wigston". A Church Near You. The Church of England. Archived from the original on 23 November 2013. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
3. Pevsner, Nikolaus (1960). The Buildings of England. Leicestershire and Rutland. Penguin Books. p. 108.
4. "A new church for South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 30 July 1892. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
5. "Consecration of St Thomas' Church, South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 4 February 1893. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
6. UK Retail Price Index inflation figures are based on data from Clark, Gregory (2017). "The Annual RPI and Average Earnings for Britain, 1209 to Present (New Series)". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
7. "Organ Dedication at South Wigston". Leicester Chronicle. England. 28 September 1895. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.
8. "NPOR [K00367]". National Pipe Organ Register. British Institute of Organ Studies. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
9. "South Wigston, Leics. S Thomas Ap". Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers. Dovemaster. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
10. "New World's Bell Ringing Record". Western Times. England. 29 December 1904. Retrieved 13 May 2017 – via British Newspaper Archive.