The village of Leigh in Staffordshire is an ancient parish scattered along the banks of the River Blythe. It has a predominance of Nordic influences. The earliest recorded event was in 1002 when Ethelred the Unready was King of England and the Danish Invaders were masters of Mercia. In that year, Wulfric Spot, or Sprot Earl of Mercia, appropriated the chapelry of “Legh” (Leigh) to the newly founded Benedictine Abbey of St. Mary at Burton on Trent and endowed it with 70 manors. The Domesday Book records Burton Abbey in Staffordshire as holders of Legh (Leigh) and the tenants were one free man and 10 other holdings in villeinage, employing 5 ploughs, Leigh appears amongst the manors of the Domesday Book of 1086.
The monks farmed the monastic lands in Leigh until the ecclesiastical tie ended in 1178 when the Abbot sold Leigh Church to Robert Fitz Ulviet for 5 marks. Fitz Ulviet became the first non-monastic lord of the manor. Successive lords of the manor were Reginald de Legh in 1268, Philip de Legh 1341 and Hugh de Legh in 1366. Leigh manor passed into the possession of the Aston family of Tixall, Staffordshire by the marriage of Sir Thomas Aston to Elizabeth, sister and co-heiress of Reginald de Legh. The Astons occupied the old mansion known as Park Hall in Church Leigh, Staffordshire
In the reign of Henry V a branch of the Bagots of Blithfield, Staffordshsire who had acquired the manor of Field, Staffordshire rose to prominence in county affairs. Sir Harvey Bagot died in Field, Staffordshire in 1660.
In the 1846 Tithe Survey it shows a parcel of ground which formerly was the parish workhouse. This was on a site opposite the “Star Inn” in Church Leigh where currently a residential house (Trem-Y-Cae) stands. Leigh workhouse in Church Leigh, Staffordshire, also served the parishes of Gayton, Fradswell and Milwich.
Leigh, Staffordshire is a large straggling parish of 24sq miles with 28 miles of roads. Leigh, Staffordshire is comprised of 10 hamlets of Church Leigh, Upper Leigh, Lower Leigh, Dodsley, Nobut, Withington, Field, Middleton Green, Godstone and Morrilow Heath.
With the building of the Railway came a busy station at Lower Leigh, Staffordshire, but closed in 1966 as part of Dr. Beeching`s railway cuts. The Signal Box at Lower Leigh and two manned level crossings, however, survived until 1999, when the present automated systems were installed.
The population of Leigh has largely remained unchanged and still fluctuates around the 900 mark.