THE STANLEYS Read about St Swithun’s or St Georges

The two parishes of Leonard Stanley and Kings Stanley are two villages which were for many years placed together as a United Benefice within the Deanery of Stonehouse.
The two churches have worked together under one incumbent for a number of years, and have gradually worked towards their single pattern of services and a single PCC.

In 2007 they officially became a United Parish with two worship centres, and in 2008 the deanery of Stonehouse joined with the deanery of Bisley to form the new Stroud Deanery.

Within the two villages there are two primary schools. The school in Leonard Stanley is a Church of England Voluntary Aided school, and that in Kings Stanley is a Voluntary Controlled school. The incumbent visits both schools to take assembly and the schools are always welcomed into the two churches for various services throughout the year. The link with schools is very important to both churches.

The two villages have much to recommend them, and links from the church web site to the village sites will give information about the village activities.

St George’s Church
Is the parish church of Kings Stanley, and now part of the United Parish of The Stanleys.
There has been a church on this site in the village for at least 800 years, and some of this early church can still be seen. The north door of the church, the door into the west tower from the church , the Norman window with its zigzag ornament all evidence the early building.
Over the years the church has had more building work done. In the 14th century the church had a south aisle added with a row of arches leading into it. One of the corbels on the interior north wall is angled, showing where the wall at one stage entered into a right angle, marking the end of the medieval church.

Galleries were found in the church by the 18th century and outside steps led up to these galleries. The guide to St George’s Church written by Carolyn Heighway in 1991 reproduces a print of 1804 showing these steps. By 1876 the church had been enlarged not only in length but also to include a vestry built on the north wall leading into the chancel.

Font is a large square stone bowl with ivory-coloured marble panels, and is dated 1877. 

Organ The organ case is a fine example of work by a village carpenter, Thomas Liddiatt. The organ was installed in 1876 with one manual and pedals, and completed in 1895. Liddiatt founded an organ building business in Leonard Stanley and together with his sons built about forty organs. The niches above the organ contain carved angels, a gift to the church in memory of Basil Joseph.

In the church you can find a medieval oak chest believed to be a church wardens chest. This was at one time used as a nave altar, although that is no longer the case. It stands now in the south aisle chapel, encased in a glass chest.