Get to know: St Leonard's Church, Old Langho

On the second Monday of each month, we welcome members' of CCT to an exclusive lecture. Each lecture starts with a brief exploration of the historical and architectural highlights of one of the churches in our care. In January 2025's lecture we travelled to St Leonard's Church in Old Langho, Lancashire, which introduced Sasha Handley's inspiring lecture "A haunting at the Rectory: Women's Words and the Ghostly Roots of Methodism" .

To become a member of CCT and enjoy access to exclusive monthly lectures and recordings of past lectures on CCTDigital from just £3.50 a month, sign up here on our website. Alternatively, email, supporters@thecct.org.uk, for more information.

St Leonard’s Church was completed in 1557, a rare product of Queen Mary I’s short but transformative reign. While Mary’s persecution of Protestants earned her the nickname “Bloody Mary,” it’s worth remembering that she was undoing her father, Henry VIII’s, systematic dismantling of Catholicism. Under Henry, monasteries like Whalley Abbey were dissolved, their lands seized, and their stones repurposed. St Leonard’s, however, reclaimed these very stones, building a Catholic chapel during Mary’s reign. While Mary’s reign is often remembered for its brutality, it also brought a brief restoration of Catholicism to the country.

Lancashire’s Catholic resilience makes the story of St Leonard’s even more remarkable. This act wasn’t just practical—it was symbolic. By repurposing the sacred materials from Whalley Abbey, destroyed under Henry VIII, the community asserted their defiance and reclaimed their faith. Historians have long noted that Lancashire remained more steadfastly Catholic after the Reformation than any other part of England. While this peculiarity remains complex, research suggests that the Catholic gentry played a pivotal role, offering shelter for priests and hosting clandestine masses. By 1639, Lancashire boasted 82 mass centres, with the majority protected by the gentry, demonstrating the community’s extraordinary commitment to their faith.

The region’s bloody history deepens its significance. Lancashire is infamous for the Pendle witch trials of 1612, where women were persecuted and executed amidst religious and social hysteria. Against this backdrop of fear and violence, St Leonard’s offered sanctuary, embodying the resilience of a community bound by faith and resistance.

If you look closely at the exterior of St Leonard's, you’ll notice the large sandstone blocks in the walls and the five square-headed Gothic windows, which date back to the 1400s. Dotted around the exterior are carved shields, faces, and decorative details, all of which came from the abbey. It’s amazing how these features give the church a sense of history and connection to its monastic origins.

The churchyard is another fascinating feature. It’s planted with trees popular in Victorian times—sycamore, copper beech, lime, and chestnut. It’s a peaceful space, but it also holds some poignant stories. Many of the graves belong to patients from the nearby Brockhall Hospital, and there’s even a separate burial area dedicated to them.

Another detail worth noting is the bellcote at the west end, added during the church’s Victorian restoration in 1897. It holds a single bell from 1756, inscribed with the name "T. Elleray, Curate." It’s simple but striking and adds to the church’s layered history.

Nestled in the quiet village of Old Langho, surrounded by traditional stone buildings and the Ribble Valley’s rolling hills, the church feels like a step back in time. It’s not just a building; it’s a reminder of how communities adapted and persevered through one of the most turbulent periods in England’s history.

Inside St Leonard’s Church, the salvaged elements from Whalley Abbey highlight the ingenuity and resilience of its builders. Key features include:

• Credence Shelf and Piscina

The credence shelf, originally a holy water stoup, and the piscina, used for washing communion vessels, are richly carved remnants from the abbey. Their presence reflects the continuation of Catholic rituals.

• Stained Glass Fragments

Small pieces of medieval stained glass in the chancel windows depict angel wings and leaves, offering a glimpse of the abbey’s artistry.

• Sanctuary Chairs and Communion Rails

A 17th-century sanctuary chair and matching Victorian copy sit alongside oak communion rails with intricate balusters, symbolizing the blending of history and functionality.

• Font and Bench Ends

The octagonal sandstone font, added in 1879, complements the late 17th-century carved bench ends in the nave, which bear initials and dates of ownership (1688–1719).

These features create a deeply layered interior, blending monastic craftsmanship with parish tradition, embodying the community’s resilience in preserving their faith and heritage.

In the Summer of 2024, CCT released a podcast series, titled, Nights in the Nave. In episode 2, CCT and Professor Sasha Handley, visited Whalley Abbey, reflecting on how its destruction symbolized the loss of Catholic traditions. St Leonard’s, built from these stones, became a beacon of hope for the community. Later, at The Black Bull pub, we heard a ghost story, a reminder of how superstition and the supernatural still shape this area’s narrative.

We also discussed Tudor sleep practices, informed by Professor Handley’s research. Tudor sleep was impacted by food, and light and sleeping arrangements. Cooling foods like apples or lettuce were thought to promote rest, moonlight was avoided for fear of nightmares, and scents like lavender calmed the mind. These insights connect to the ways women, like those accused at Pendle, were tied to rituals, traditions, and belief systems that defined their lives.

Listen to the whole series of Nights in the Nave for FREE on CCTdigital.com.