St Leonard's Church, Walton-le-Dale facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Leonard's, Walton-le-Dale
St Leonard's from the west
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OS grid reference	SD 56141 28121
Location	Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	St Leonard
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Administration
Deanery	Leyland
Archdeaconry	Blackburn
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York

St Leonard's Church is an Anglican church located in Walton-le-Dale, Lancashire, England. It is an active parish church, meaning it serves the local community. The church is part of the Diocese of Blackburn.

In 1950, St Leonard's was given a special status as a Grade II* listed building. This means it's a very important historical building that needs to be protected. Some parts of the church are from the 1500s, while other sections were rebuilt in the early 1900s.

History of the Church

The oldest parts of St Leonard's Church, like the chancel (the area around the altar) and the tower, were built in the 1500s. The main part of the church, called the nave, was replaced between 1795 and 1798. Later, in 1815–1816, the transepts (the parts that stick out on the sides, making the church look like a cross) were added.

The church had some renovation work done in 1856. In 1864, the chancel was updated by an architect named E. G. Paley. He added a new roof, floor, and other features.

The nave and transepts were completely rebuilt between 1902 and 1906 by another architect, John Pollard Seddon. This was his last project. The new parts were built almost exactly where the old ones were, because there were many graves close to the church.

St Leonard's was officially named a Grade II* listed building on March 24, 1950. This is the second highest level of protection for historic buildings in England. The church is still an active parish church. It belongs to the Diocese of Blackburn, which is part of the Province of York.

Church Architecture

Outside the Church

St Leonard's from the east

St Leonard's Church is built on high ground near the River Ribble and the River Darwen. It is made of stone and designed in the Perpendicular style, which is a type of Gothic architecture popular in England. The roofs are made of slate.

The church has a nave (the main seating area), a chancel (the area near the altar), transepts (the arms of the cross shape), a tower at the west end, and a north porch (an entrance area).

The tower has four levels and strong angled buttresses (supports). It has a crenellated parapet at the top, which looks like the top of a castle wall. On the west side, there's a large window with three sections and decorative stone patterns called tracery. The tower also has openings with louvres for the bells, also with tracery. There are clock faces on the south and west walls. You enter the tower through a pointed door on the west side.

The wide nave has two sections and double transepts. These parts were rebuilt using stone from the local Hoghton area. Like the tower, the nave and transepts have buttresses and crenellated parapets. The chancel is a bit lower than the rest of the building and is simpler, without buttresses or crenellations. It has a molded base. There's also a special door for the priest on the south side.

The east window is arched and has three sections with trefoil shapes (like a three-leaf clover) and tracery. Other windows in the church have pointed tops and decorative foiled (leaf-like) designs.

Inside the Church

Inside, the nave is about 60 feet long and 42 feet wide. The walls are covered with sandstone from Runcorn. The large double transepts make the church feel longer from north to south than it is from east to west. There's a gallery on the west side, which you can reach by a stone staircase in the porch.

The roof of the nave has an open hammerbeam structure, which means you can see the wooden beams that support it. The chancel has a tie beam roof with visible kingpost trusses (another type of wooden support).

In the chancel, there's a plaster panel from 1634 with the coat of arms of the Assheton family. There's also a brass memorial from 1770 for the wife of Ralph Assheton.

The church has beautiful stained glass windows. The east window, installed in 1850, was made by a company called Hardman & Co. from Birmingham. Other stained glass was created later by Shrigley and Hunt from Lancaster.

External Features

The churchyard around St Leonard's contains the war graves of several soldiers and airmen. These include two soldiers and one airman from World War I, and three soldiers and one airman from World War II. These graves honor those who died serving their country.

See also

• Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire
• Listed buildings in Walton-le-Dale