Church Micro 9115...The Leigh Traditional Cache

You are looking for a large plastic box inside a camo bag. The cache is placed on the church grounds and permission for this cache has been granted by the lay chairperson of the church and the churchwarden.

Please be respectful when visiting this cache as it is used by the local community for many events.

St Catherine's Church, The Leigh

The Parish church of St. Catherine, a grade 1 listed building, has stood in the rural hamlet of The Leigh since 1225. The foundations may well date as far back as 750. It has a bell tower of 6 bells which are regularly rung by a keen team of bell ringers. A dedicated area of the churchyard was given over to be a memorial garden in 2005. As the organ was failing it was decided to replace it with an electric instrument. When the pipe organ was dismantled a frieze was uncovered behind the organ, thought to date to before Victorian times when the pipe organ was installed. The chancel and nave were redecorated in 2007 at which time some pews were replaced with chairs, keeping the very oldest pews. The heating had to be updated as it had been under pew heaters, electric heaters are now the main source of heating. A quinquennial report noted that the exterior wall of the side chapel was becoming detached from the church, all resolved following lots of fundraising. The last and biggest project at St Catherine’s has been the raising of the ringing floor and installation of toilet and small kitchen. With the help of a grant and generous donations from many people the work was completed in 2010. This extra facility has enabled the church to be a venue for many events. The church can be re-arranged in minutes. Meetings, concerts, Messy Church, meals, and fundraising events are held regularly. The church has also seen a weekend conference for a Youth Group.

The church is open everyday and is worth a look around inside, if not just for the mini matchstick model of the church. Please sign the guestbook also at the church.

The church is part of the Seven Towers Benefice www.seventowers.org.ukCache placed with kind permission from the lay chairperson and churchwarden of the church

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