Church of St Leonard, Middleton

Church of St Leonard, Middleton
Shown within Greater Manchester
Basic information
Location	Middleton, England
Geographic coordinates	53°33′12″N 2°11′38″W / 53.5534°N 2.1940°W / 53.5534; -2.1940Coordinates: 53°33′12″N 2°11′38″W / 53.5534°N 2.1940°W / 53.5534; -2.1940
Architectural description
Architectural type	Church
Completed	1524
Specifications

St Leonard's (grid reference SD871063) is an Anglican parish church in Middleton, Greater Manchester, England. It was designated a Grade I listed building by English Heritage in 1957.^[1]

St Leonard's

Much of the present building was erected in 1412 by Cardinal Thomas Langley (born in Middleton in 1363) who served as 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 part of the world is the wooden belfry tower.

The church of St Leonard was completed in 1524 by Sir Richard Assheton, in celebration of the knighthood granted to him by Henry VIII for his part in the Battle of Flodden Field. 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 Field in 1513. The church also has one of the finest collections of monumental brasses in the area, including the only brass in the UK of an English Civil War officer in full armour, Major-General Sir Ralph Assheton.^[3]

See also

Anglicanism portal

• List of churches in Greater Manchester
• Grade I listed buildings in Greater Manchester

References

1. ^ "Church of St Leonard". Images of England. http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/Details/Default.aspx?id=213457. Retrieved 2007-12-24. 
2. ^ Mountford, Emma (2006-09-07). "World's oldest war memorial nears milestone". middletonguardian.co.uk. http://www.middletonguardian.co.uk/news/s/517318_worlds_oldest_war_memorial_nears_milestone. Retrieved 2008-06-30. 
3. ^ Church website

External links