It may look older, but Smeeton Westerby church was not built until the middle of the 19th century. The site it occupies is situated between the original settlements of Smeeton and Westerby, which makes the village feel more like one place today.
The Victoria County History says: "A large arch which is incorporated in the west wall of the nave suggests that the addition of a west tower was contemplated at some future period."
That may well be so, but some Victorian church architects were fond of effects like this arch, which can be appreciated only from a distance. At nearby Tur Langton, the windows on the side of the church that is seen across the fields are much larger than those that face the main street of the village.
Geoffrey Brandwood's thesis on nineteenth century Leicestershire churches reveals that the architect Henry Woodyer was a pupil of Butterfield, and says the Ecclesiologist liked the west end. I'd say this suggests no larger tower was everr planned
ReplyDeletehttp://bit.ly/tG1jqM (page 87 in volume 1 and plate 18 in volume 2)