South view of church and inset bell tower
Smeeton Westerby sits in rural Leicestershire countryside between Kibworth Beauchamp and Saddington. It is 10 miles south east of Leicester and about six miles from the nearest market town at Market Harborough.
The wide aisles and nave towards the chancel
Originally Smeeton and Westerby were seperate hamlets but they merged some time ago to form the parish. I can find very little information on the early history of the village which is unusual. I can not find any information on an earlier church at Smeeton Westerby but if anyone has any historical information on the village and church I would be grateful for an update. In the meantime we will concentrate on the present church itself.
Christ Church was built in 1848-1849 by Henry Woodyer (1816-1896) and was based on a design praised by the Ecclesiologist a plan of the church by Henry can be seen further down. The church has north and south aisles, nave, chancel, vestry and a octagonal bell turret. The organ is sited at the west end of the church by the west window, the font has an elaborate carved wooden cover and is nearby. There have also been some modern upgrades including a kitchen area and toilet facilities. The church is usually unlocked so is available to visit. There is parking on the road outside and there is a pub in the village for refreshments.
Plan of church by Henry Woodyer – courtesy of Lambeth Palace Library
The church has no great monuments or architecture of historical significance but it is a spacious building with a well proportioned interior.
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