Window opens on Middleton's historic mystery

The 500-year mystery of Middleton's most famous window – which is widely believed to be the world's oldest glazed war memorial – looks to have been solved.

For centuries Moonrakers have believed the magnificent Flodden Window at Middleton Parish Church of St Leonard was created in the 1520s to commemorate a 1513 battle between the English and Scottish.

But historians and restoration experts have unearthed evidence that the stained glass window was actually created in 1505 – eight years before the battle took place.

Historian Geoff Wellens said it means the historic window was 'manorial' rather than 'memorial', created by the then Lord of Middleton Hall, Richard Assheton.

He said: “We've long known that there was some doubt about the actual age of the window.

“A copper plate of the window made in the nineteenth century had 1505 in Roman numerals, but this was disregarded as a mistake.

“However, following the restoration of the window I now believe there is enough evidence to say it dates to 1505, before the Battle of Flodden.”

Evidence that the window was older than first thought has come from historical records and inscriptions on the window itself uncovered by Keith Barley, from Barley Studios, whose team undertook an eight-month project to restore the window.

As well as uncovering clues the window is at least 20 years older than first thought, it is now believed the window was once larger and included religious pictures.

Mr Barley said these were probably lost during the Reformation, but the archers and their names survived.

“It's incredible that the archers have survived the Reformation at all,” said Mr Barley.

“It's not possible to say which saint would have been on the window, but it's likely the archers would have been at the base of the window kneeling before them.

“Everyone thought the window had archers on to commemorate the Battle of Flodden, but it's more likely those very archers and Richard Assheton himself had a whip-round to raise money to pay for this window as an offering to God before the battle.

“People in those days were very God-fearing and it would have been quite normal to do something like this.”

It was retained at the church by the then knighted Sir Richard Assheton, who renovated and extended St Leonard's following the battle. The church was reopened in 1524

That decision transformed it from a pre-battle offering to God into a war memorial – the oldest of its kind in the world – although it is not known if that was Sir Richard Assheton's intention.

Despite not starting life as a war memorial, Mr Wellens said it is possible the town's historic residents decided to transform it into one.

He said: “Given that there is no evidence that any named on the window died at Flodden, and excluding the possibility that any of them died in the intervening years between the battle and the church re-opening, it is quite possible it was a reminder of the battle.”