| Church of St Leonard at the Hythe, Colchester | |
Church of St Leonard at the Hythe, Colchester,
from the southeast |
|
|
Church of St Leonard at the Hythe, Colchester
|
|
| OS grid reference | TM 013 247 |
|---|---|
| Location | Colchester, Essex |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | Churches Conservation Trust |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Leonard |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Redundant |
| Heritage designation | Grade B |
| Designated | 24 February 1950 |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Closed | 1982 |
The Church of St Leonard at the Hythe, Colchester, is a redundant Anglican church in Colchester, Essex, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building,[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.[2] The church stands on the north side of Hythe Hill, in the Hythe area of Colchester.[3]
For many years St Leonard's served as the church of the port of Colchester.[2] Its earliest fabric dates from the 14th century. Additions and alterations were made in the following century, and the hammerbeam roof of the nave dates from the early 16th century.[1] During the Siege of Colchester in the Civil War, Royalist soldiers took refuge in the church.[4] Bullet holes from this incident survive in the door.[2][4] In the earthquake of 1884 the tower was damaged and its top stage was replaced.[1]
The screens and furnishings date from the 19th and 20th centuries. Over the chancel arch is a mural dated 1901. Stained glass windows depict various saints.[2] Over the centuries the church has required repeated restoration due to subsidence, or to inadequacies in the earlier construction.[1] In 2009 it was suggested that the church might re-open.[5]