Middleton Rotary Club visit St Leonard's

Middleton Rotary Club brass rubbing at St Leonard's Church

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Middleton Rotary Club visited St Leonard's, Middleton Parish Church to learn about its history and to take part in brass rubbings of some of the Assheton family from 1400s to the 1500s.

Pauline Journeaux, from Middleton Rotary Club, said: “The church itself is fascinating, the brass we were taking the rubbings from are copies of the actual brasses that are still on the floor of the church by the altar, which have been there since the 1500s.

“The club is planning to return to St Leonard's for a full tour later in the year.”

The church has a notable history, including the Flodden window, which is probably the oldest stained-glass window in the western world and brasses including a rare brass from the Civil War.

St Leonard’s Church is believed to have been built upon the site of an Anglo-Saxon Church and is of medieval origin.

The Church is a fine Grade I Listed building with distinctive building periods dating from 1120 and 1412, but substantially from 1524 when the original structure was radically extended by Sir Richard Assheton, the then Lord of the Manor.

The Church contains an early 16th Century stained glass window commemorating the safe return of a body of archers from Middleton who, under the command of Sir Richard, were instrumental in securing a victory for the English King at the Battle of Flodden Field.