Church of St Leonard

CHURCH OF ST LEONARD, NEW LANE

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1162332
Date first listed:
15-Mar-1957
List Entry Name:
Church of St Leonard
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST LEONARD, NEW LANE
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Location

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Date:
1999-08-15
Reference:
IOE01/00526/03
Rights:
© Ms Pamela Jackson. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
I
List Entry Number:
1162332
Date first listed:
15-Mar-1957
List Entry Name:
Church of St Leonard
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST LEONARD, NEW 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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

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.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST LEONARD, NEW LANE

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Rochdale (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SD 87208 06307

Details

MIDDLETON NEW LANE SD 80 NE (south side) 2/17 Church of 15/3/57 St. Leonard G.V. I Church. Priests door C13; south porch, tower and south arcade 1412 for Cardinal Langley of Durham; the remainder largely of 1524 for Sir Richard Assheton except for vestry of late C17, top stage of tower added in c. 1667, east window of 1847, organ chamber 1920 and north vestrys of 1958 by G. G. Pace. Dressed stone with weather-boarded top stage to tower. 4-bay aisle (5-bay north) with weathered plinth, weathered buttresses and castellated parapet with foiled panelling. Cusped 3-light aisle windows and uncusped 3-light clerestory windows below flat heads. The porch is ornately carved with niches and foiled panelling around the arched doorway which has a crocketed ogee hoodmould. The C17 vestry is considerably lower to avoid obscuring the windows above. Rainwater heads on the north aisle record a restoration of 1869, similarly, JS 1852 appears on the castellations. The 4-stage west tower has diagonal buttresses, a weathered plinth, 2-light windows on the first and second stages, clock faces on the third, and a curious weatherboarded top stage which was designed to accommodate a new peal of bells and has gables on each side. The C20 addition is in a free Gothic style. Interior: double-chamfered nave arcade with octagonal piers. The roofline of the 1412 church is clearly visible above the tower arch which is itself a re-set Norman chancel arch of 3 orders with scalloped capitals, curious rams' heads carved on the bases and 2 orders of zigzag in the arch which is now pointed. Rennants of the Norman church also exist in fragments of a billet frieze used in part of the north arcade. C15 rood screen without its original loft has heraldic dado panels which have themselves been restored. Stall with misericords and traceried ends with poppyheads including carved animals. Hopwood box pew (probably late C17) in south aisle with barleysugar balusters. C19 font and lectern. Window commemorates the victory of Flodden Field 1513, the event which prompted the rebuilding of the church by way cf thanksgiving. Various C16 and C17 brasses. C18 and C19 decorated wall tablets. The church enjoys a commanding hilltop position.

Listing NGR: SD8721106306

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
213457
Legacy System:
LBS

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Leonard

Map

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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