The sandstone and slate church of Old St Leonard's Langho was built originally in 1557, using stone and fitments from the dissolution of Whalley Abbey, it is thought. In 1879 a vestry was added. However in 1880 a new church was built nearer to the centre of the population and the railway. In the churchyard wargraves from a soldier and an airman from WW1 can be found.The interior of the church can be visited on Sundays. The graveyard is interesting, but much more interesting and poignant is the field beyond.
There was a "mental hospital" here until recent years.It is now demiolished though the workers houses still remain. Pregnant teenagers were incarcerated here, as were people with physical deformities as well as mental illnesses. My mother told me of a person here who was reputed to be less than two feet tall. Not much seems better these days, but our attitude towards people with physical ailments certainly is, due in no small part to TV programmes that explain their conditions. At one time they were locked away and hidden from view. Now we understand and sympathise with so many conditions and illnesses.
There is a monument behind the church listing the names and ages of the many people buried here with no headstone to mark their passing.
As a young teacher dealing with a difficult pupil, my headteacher sent me to the hospital here for a day to observe the hospital school and how they handled pupils, even more challenging than mine.
I don't know if it helped, but it made a big impression on me. And I got a proposal of marriage!
“If anybody would like to expand to this series please do, I would just ask that you could let Sadexploration know first at churchmicro@gmail.com so he can keep track of the Church numbers and names to avoid duplication.
There is also a Church Micro Stats & Information page found via the Bookmark list”