Church of St Leonard the Less
CHURCH OF ST LEONARD THE LESS, POTTER LANE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1073063
- Date first listed:
- 11-Nov-1966
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Leonard the Less
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST LEONARD THE LESS, POTTER LANE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2000-07-20
- Reference:
- IOE01/00117/16
- Rights:
- © Mr K. Foster. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1073063
- Date first listed:
- 11-Nov-1966
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Leonard the Less
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST LEONARD THE LESS, POTTER LANE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST LEONARD THE LESS, POTTER LANE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Lancashire
- District:
- South Ribble (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Samlesbury
- National Grid Reference:
- SD 58984 30353
Details
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
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 357996
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Clayton, G, St Leonard the Less Samlesbury, ()
Eaton, R, History of Samlesbury, (1936)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: North Lancashire, (1969)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 06-Jun-2026 at 20:12:18.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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