Description:Wall Grange was purchased by James Leveson in 1540 and remained in the Leveson-Gower family until 1911. The family's strong association with Leek is evident in their involvement in the development of railways and water works in the area, and in the gifts of land which the family made for local public buildings.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Cromartie Sutherland-Leveson-Gower (1851-1913), the fourth Duke of Sutherland, provided a piece of land in Longsdon in Leek for the site of a new Church.
In November 1900 Thomas Robinson of Leek who was involved in the construction of the new Church wrote to George Menzies, the Duke of Sutherland's Estate Agent, with a plan of the piece of land which the Duke had donated. He tells Menzies that it had been proposed to ‘reduce the depth of the land from the road’ and requests that the Duke amend the plan showing the exact area of land he would be willing to offer for the site.
The plan shows the road from Newcastle to Leek adjoining Hollinhay Wood where the new Church would be situated.
A further letter from Robinson written on 9th April 1902 refers to ‘the proposed new road’ which had been planned in negotiations over the site of the new Church.
The papers relating to Longsdon also include an Ordnance Survey map of Leek and Lowe. In the left hand corner of the map from 1887 Hollinhay Wood can be seen in Ladderedge near to the Trent & Mersey Canal. The Staffordshire Potteries Water Works Company Reservoir can also be seen. In the centre of the map at the top, Leek Water Works Company Reservoir can be seen and also a nearby silk mill. Leek Union Workhouse and the River Churnet can also be seen clearly on the map.
Click on the images on the left to see these documents in more detail.