"The chapel at Thorpe Langton was granted to Leicester Abbey, with the mother church at Church Langton, at some date during the 12th century, probably before 1162. From 1220 onwards it was served by the mother church. No evidence of a resident chaplain has survived for any period before the 16th century. There were no chaplains in the early 18th century, but by the 19th century it appears to have been customary for the rector's curate, living at Church Langton, to serve Thorpe Langton.
There was no burial ground until the middle of the 19th century, as the rights of burial remained with the mother church. As at Tur Langton, the inhabitants in 1832 petitioned the archdeacon that the yard in which the chapel stood should be consecrated. The existing memorial tablets dating from before 1832 must have been moved from Church Langton. During the 19th century the dedication of the chapel was said to be to St. Nicholas, but this was presumably a mistake for St. Leonard and was corrected later. When it was visited by a Leicestershire Archaeological Society excursion in 1863, the chapel was described as dedicated to St. Leonard.
The chapel of ST. LEONARD stands on rising ground in the south-west of the village, and is approached by a cul-de-sac. Before the late 18th century the old manor-house and perhaps the village were close to the chapel, and the road which now runs into a field on the east side of the churchyard was one of the village streets. The building, which is of ironstone with limestone dressings, consists of clerestoried chancel and nave, north and south aisles, north porch, and west tower and spire. There is a modern vestry against the south wall of the tower.
The rubble walling of a 13th-century building is visible in the spandrels of the south arcade, at the western ends of both arcades against the tower, and possibly in the bases of the arcade piers. Four reset corbels in the south aisle are of c. 1200. The tower, of three stages surmounted by a small broach spire, was built later in the 13th century. The spire has pinnacles on each broach, four two-light openings near the base, and smaller openings towards the apex. Two-light openings under single arches but with unpierced spandrels light the belfry stage. There are angle buttresses, and a single lancet window in the lowest stage; the west door has been modernized.
The chancel, aisles, and arcades were rebuilt in the early 14th century. A moulded plinth and string course of Decorated character is common to chancel and south aisle. The windows have varied tracery, including forking, reticulated, intersecting, and geometrical: all these features are Decorated in character. The piscina and mutilated sedilia in the chancel are of the same date. The three-bay arcades have quatrefoil piers, pointed double-chamfered arches, and hoodmoulds with head stops. Two capitals at the east end of the south arcade are ornamented with ballflowers. At the east end of the south aisle is the entrance to the former rood loft.
The clerestory was added in the late 15th century to both nave and chancel, and with it a low-pitched roof. The pitch of the earlier nave roof is visible on the tower. The junction of earlier masonry with that of the clerestory in the chancel and the disproportionate height of the east window in the south aisle both suggest that the side walls may have been lowered before the clerestory was added.
The building was restored in 1867, at a cost of about £1,000 provided by the Hanbury charity, by Joseph Goddard of Leicester. Mrs. Elizabeth Roberts of Guilsborough (Northants.) gave £300 for the restoration of the east end and the installation of the present east window. The north aisle was rebuilt and a north porch was added while much of the early tracery and mouldings were replaced. The roof was repaired in 1914. The stained glass in the east window of the south aisle is a memorial to George E. Kendall (d. 1926).
The octagonal Perpendicular font is of the late 15th century. The bowl and shaft are enriched with foliage and traceried panels. A 15th-century pulpit and Jacobean benches were removed during the restoration of 1867, but the present pulpit incorporates wooden panels of c. 1500, perhaps taken from the earlier structure. In 1619 large pews were rented by some of the more substantial free tenants, while the seats in the north aisle were very mean and unboarded, 'like little seats for school boys'. The organ was provided by the Hanbury charity in 1952.
There are three bells: (i) n.d.; (ii) 1630; (iii) 17th century. All were recast in 1884. There is a silver chalice dated c. 1731. The registers begin in 1605 but are continuous only after c. 1652."
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