A HISTORY OF LANCASHIRE 



for which the ground had apparently to be lowered, 

 are not bonded with those of the main building, and 

 though their exterior detail is similar to that of the 

 north aisle, they seem to be later work. 



West and side galleries were erected at the end of 

 the 1 8th century, 9 that on the south side being carried 

 over the Assheton Chapel, but these were taken down 

 in the restoration of 1868, when the church was 

 reseated and a doorway, which formerly existed in the 

 north wall of the tower, was built up. 10 



There were extensive alterations and restorations 

 in 1846-7 and 1868-9. 



The walls of the building are constructed of rather 

 rough masonry, except those of the tower, which still 

 retain the more finely wrought work of Langley's 

 time. The walls of both aisles and clearstories are 

 embattled, and the roofs are covered with lead. The 

 aisles have lean-to roofs, those of the north being of 



present five-light window substituted for a late 

 window of seven lights with transoms, but no tracery. 

 The window on the north has three trefoiled lights 

 under a three-centred arch, and is the original 16th- 

 century one ; that on the south side, which contains 

 the * Flodden ' glass, is of two lights, and belongs to 

 1847. A doorway on the south side to the vestry 

 was blocked up in 1872, and the entrance removed to 

 the east end of the Assheton Chapel. The west half 

 of the chancel has an arch north and south to the two 

 chapels, that on the north, as already mentioned, 

 being apparently a later extension eastward when the 

 chapel was built or reconstructed. The north chapel 

 is now used as an organ chamber, but was formerly 

 known as the Rector's or Langley's Chapel, pre- 

 sumably from the fact that the altar of the Virgin and 

 St. Cuthbert, endowed by Langley, was on this side 

 of the nave. There is nothing to show, however, 



I** 1 Ccrrtury 

 Circa 1410. 



of Feef. 



PLAN OF MIDDLETON CHURCH 



flatter pitch than the south, and the external detail of 

 the north side of the building is generally plainer 

 and poorer than that of the south, which has an 

 elaborately panelled and moulded embattled parapet 

 to the aisle. On the middle of the parapet of the 

 south aisle is the inscription : RIC. ASSHETON et ANNA 

 uxo. ei. anno D'NI MVXXIII,' and at its east end are 

 two stones with inscriptions, the upper one of which 



is uncertain, and the lower has the initials 



STD. 



The chancel, 24 ft. 6 in. by 30 ft., preserves none 

 of its ancient ritual arrangements. The east wall 

 above the window sill was rebuilt in 1 847, and the 



that a separate chapel existed on the present site 

 before the existing one was erected. The east window 

 is of five and the north window of four uncusped 

 lights under three-centred heads. The windows to 

 the Assheton Chapel have a similar number of un- 

 cusped lights, that on the south being under a seg- 

 mental head, while the two-light window at the east 

 end of the south aisle, together with the window over 

 the * Langley door,' are of similar plain detail. All 

 the other windows to the north and south aisles have 

 four-centred arched heads and cusped lights. There 

 is a descent of seven steps from the Assheton Chapel 

 to the south-east vestry, and the oak door is probably 



* North and south galleries, 1792. 

 18 Glynne mentions ' a frightful taw- 

 dry pew belonging to Lord Suffield ' in 



the south gallery ; Lanes. Churches (Chet. over the rest of the south aisle eastward. A 

 Soc.), 97. This was in the fourth bay from brief description of the building about 1795 



If S i t 



the west,but Lord Suffield's gallery extended 

 154 



is in Aikin's Country round Munch. 243. 



