Church Of St Leonard The Less

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