St Thomas' Church, South Wigston
History
The foundation stone was laid on 26 July 1892 by Thomas Ingram and it was consecrated on 2 February 1893 by Rt. Revd. Mandell Creighton the Bishop of Peterborough.
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). 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) and dedicated on 26 September 1875 by Bishop Mitchinson. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.
The Bells
A peal of eight bells was cast in 1901 by John Taylor & Co. 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.