Church Of St Leonard On The Less

Description

This information is taken from the statutory List as it was in 2001 and may not be up to date.

SD 53SE SAMLESBURY POTTER LANE

1/91 Church of St. Leonard-the-Less 11.11.1966 GV I

Church, substantially 1558, but with masonry of late C12 building visible in both gables, and tower and porches of 1899. Nave and chancel in one, with aisles, tower attached at north-west corner. Two gabled and timber- framed porches on south side. Aisle and clerestory windows are all of 3 arched lights with stone mullions, deeply splayed reveals and hoodmoulds.

Arched 3-light west window with intersecting tracery; east wall contains arched 3-light window with perpendicular tracery, a dripmould over it with figured stops. Battlemented tower of ashlar with diagonal buttresses, west door, 1st floor window, belfry louvres on all sides and stair turret.

Interior: nave arcades of 4 bays following line of original outer walls (the west ends of which remain), composed of 3 short octagonal columns with moulded capitals and matching responds at each end, and double- chamfered 2-centred arches. Interior walls of coursed irregular masonry now with ribbon pointing (plastered until 1884). Wooden ceiling on slightly-cambered bridging beams and secondary beams, all chamfered (concealed by reed and plaster ceiling until 1884); sloping aisle roofs.

Exceptionally complete set of individually constructed and decorated box pews, most with dates and plates ranging from 1678 to 1756. Other notable furnishings and fittings include: 2 levels of C18 3-decker pulpit; C17 Communion rail with turned balusters; funerary armour (sword, helm and blazoned shield) believed to be that of Thomas Southworth of Samlesbury Hall (q.v.) d. 1546; Royal Arms, Commandment, Creed and Lord's Prayer Tables all painted on canvas; alabaster slab, incised, to Sir William Atherton and his wife (d.1440 and 1480); memorial tablets of Geoffrey Hornby (d.1801) and Mrs. Fielden (d.1859); a tub font, possibly Norman; and C14 Sanctus Bell over east door. Numerous masons' marks on south arade, exterior north wall, and jambs of east window. (VCH Lancs; Pevsner; R. Eaton History of Samlesbury 1936; G. Clayton St Leonard the Less Samlesbury n.d.

Listing NGR: SD5898630362

Content

This is part of the Series: IOE01/0738 IOE Records taken by K Foster; within the Collection: IOE01 Images Of England

Rights

© Mr K. Foster. Source: Historic England Archive

This photograph was taken for the Images of England project