St Leonard's Church, Middleton
Church in Greater Manchester, England From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St Leonard's is a Church of England parish church in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a Grade I listed building.[1]
| Church of St Leonard, Middleton | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Church of St Leonard, Middleton | |
| 53.5532°N 2.1946°W | |
| Location | Middleton, Greater Manchester |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www |
| History | |
| Former name(s) | St Cuthbert |
| Status | Active |
| Founder(s) | Thomas Langley |
| Dedication | St Leonard |
| Consecrated | September 1412 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Parish church |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Years built | 1100, 1412 |
| Administration | |
| Province | Province of York |
| Diocese | Diocese of Manchester |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of Rochdale |
| Parish | joint benefice of St Leonard, Middleton and St John, Thornham |
| Clergy | |
| Rector | The Revd Alison Bailie |
| Curate(s) | The Revd Adele Bridle |
| Asst Curate(s) | The Revd David Brooks, The Revd Freda Jackson, The Revd Karen Hamnett |
Much of the present building was erected in 1412 by Thomas Langley (born in Middleton in 1363) who was Bishop of Durham and Lord Chancellor of England. He re-used the Norman doorway from an earlier structure to create the tower arch. Also distinctive in this region is the weather-boarded top stage to the tower.
The church of St Leonard was enlarged in 1524 by Sir Richard Assheton, in celebration of the knighthood granted to him by Henry VIII of England for his part in the Battle of Flodden in 1513. The Flodden Window, in the sanctuary, is thought to be the oldest war memorial in the UK.[2] It commemorates on it the names of the Middleton archers who fought at Flodden. The church also has one of the finest collections of monumental brasses in the north of England, including the only brass in the UK depicting an English Civil War officer in full armour, Major-General Ralph Assheton. George Pace designed a war memorial and, in 1958, added a choir vestry and installed new lighting.[3][4][1]
In the extension of the churchyard are the war graves of two First World War soldiers, and an airman from the Second World War.[5]
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