St Wilfrid's Church, Halton-on-Lune
Encyclopedia
St Wilfrid's Church is an Anglican
church in Halton-on-Lune, a village in the English county of Lancashire
. It is an active parish church
in the Diocese of Blackburn
and the archdeaconry of Lancaster. Halton may have been the site of an ancient Anglican minster. Of the current structure, the tower dates from the 16th century and the remainder was built 1876–77 by Paley and Austin. The church has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage
.
in 1066, Halton was the centre of a large manor
that belonged to Earl Tostig Godwinson
. There is evidence of a Christian site at Halton and there was likely an Anglican minster there. There may have been a connection to Bishop Wilfrid
(c
. 633 – c. 709) and certainly by 1252, there was a church dedicated to St Wilfrid. Until the early 18th century, the advowson
(the right to appoint a parish priest) belonged to the Lord of the Manor
.
A tower was built in the 16th century. The church (excluding the tower) was rebuilt in 1792. The current structure was built 1876–77 by Lancaster based architecture firm Paley and Austin. The 16th-century tower remains. The churchyard was enlarged in 1872, 1901 and again in 1907.
rubble and has red tile roofs. Its plan consists of a nave, with a tower to the west, north aisle
and chancel to the east. There is a two-storey porch
on the south side of the nave, with timber framing to the upper storey. The three-stage tower is 55 feet (16.8 m) tall. The west corners have five-stage diagonal buttress
es. It has a crenellated
parapet
with pinnacle
s. At the north-east corner there is a vice (spiral stair). There are two-light belfry
louvres
with hood moulding
.
The windows in the south walls are in the Decorated style. There is varying tracery
.
ed order. The nave has four bay
s. The chancel measures 25 feet (7.6 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m). It contains an organ chamber and a vestry
.
Stained glass in the church includes images of Joan of Arc
and Saint George
by Lancaster based firm Shrigley and Hunt
. There is a baptismal font
dating from 1848.
s that date from the late 18th century. A lychgate
dates from 1907. To the north, there is a two-tiered burial vault
built into a hill, with the remains of the Bradshaw family. South of the church lies an Anglo Saxon high cross
. The cross is carved sandstone and consists of a base, measuring 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) by 1.4 metres (4.6 ft), with a shaft and cross head. 11th-century carvings on the shaft depict the legend of Sigurd
.
Approximately 4 metres (13.1 ft) south-east of the porch there is a 17th-century sundial
. The base is sandstone and is inscribed with "For Saint Wilfrite Church at Halton 1635. Pereunt et imputantur".
designated St Wilfrid's a Grade II listed building on 4 October 1967. The Grade II designation—the lowest of the three grades—is for buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". Architectural historians Pevsner and Hartwell (2009) say that the church is "easily recognizable" as the work of Paley and Austin. The 18th-century gates and piers and the sundial have received separate Grade II designations. The high cross has been designated a scheduled monument as a "good example of 11th century art styles".
St Wilfrid's is an active parish church
in the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn
, which is part of the Province of York
. It is in the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the Deanery
of Tunstall. St Wilfrid's shares a benefice with St Saviour's Church
in Aughton and St Luke's Church in Slyne-with-Hest.
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in Halton-on-Lune, a village in the English county of Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. It is an active parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the Diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
and the archdeaconry of Lancaster. Halton may have been the site of an ancient Anglican minster. Of the current structure, the tower dates from the 16th century and the remainder was built 1876–77 by Paley and Austin. The church has been designated a Grade II listed building by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
.
History
At the time of the Norman conquest of EnglandNorman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
in 1066, Halton was the centre of a large manor
Manorialism
Manorialism, an essential element of feudal society, was the organizing principle of rural economy that originated in the villa system of the Late Roman Empire, was widely practiced in medieval western and parts of central Europe, and was slowly replaced by the advent of a money-based market...
that belonged to Earl Tostig Godwinson
Tostig Godwinson
Tostig Godwinson was an Anglo-Saxon Earl of Northumbria and brother of King Harold Godwinson, the last crowned english King of England.-Early life:...
. There is evidence of a Christian site at Halton and there was likely an Anglican minster there. There may have been a connection to Bishop Wilfrid
Wilfrid
Wilfrid was an English bishop and saint. Born a Northumbrian noble, he entered religious life as a teenager and studied at Lindisfarne, at Canterbury, in Gaul, and at Rome; he returned to Northumbria in about 660, and became the abbot of a newly founded monastery at Ripon...
(c
Circa
Circa , usually abbreviated c. or ca. , means "approximately" in the English language, usually referring to a date...
. 633 – c. 709) and certainly by 1252, there was a church dedicated to St Wilfrid. Until the early 18th century, the advowson
Advowson
Advowson is the right in English law of a patron to present or appoint a nominee to a vacant ecclesiastical benefice or church living, a process known as presentation. In effect this means the right to nominate a person to hold a church office in a parish...
(the right to appoint a parish priest) belonged to the Lord of the Manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
.
A tower was built in the 16th century. The church (excluding the tower) was rebuilt in 1792. The current structure was built 1876–77 by Lancaster based architecture firm Paley and Austin. The 16th-century tower remains. The churchyard was enlarged in 1872, 1901 and again in 1907.
Exterior
St Wilfrid's is constructed of yellow sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
rubble and has red tile roofs. Its plan consists of a nave, with a tower to the west, north aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
and chancel to the east. There is a two-storey porch
Porch
A porch is external to the walls of the main building proper, but may be enclosed by screen, latticework, broad windows, or other light frame walls extending from the main structure.There are various styles of porches, all of which depend on the architectural tradition of its location...
on the south side of the nave, with timber framing to the upper storey. The three-stage tower is 55 feet (16.8 m) tall. The west corners have five-stage diagonal buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es. It has a crenellated
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
with pinnacle
Pinnacle
A pinnacle is an architectural ornament originally forming the cap or crown of a buttress or small turret, but afterwards used on parapets at the corners of towers and in many other situations. The pinnacle looks like a small spire...
s. At the north-east corner there is a vice (spiral stair). There are two-light belfry
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
louvres
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
with hood moulding
Crown molding
Crown molding encapsulates a large family of moldings which are designed to gracefully flare out to a finished top edge. Crown molding is generally used for capping walls, pilasters, and cabinets, and is used extensively in the creation of interior and exterior cornice assemblies and door and...
.
The windows in the south walls are in the Decorated style. There is varying tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
.
Interior and fittings
Internally, the tower measures 12 in 10 in (3.91 m) square. It has a ring of three bells. Inside the tower there are some remains of Anglo Saxon sculpture. The nave measures 49 in 9 in (15.16 m) by 18 in 9 in (5.72 m). It is accessed from the tower through a segmental arch with a single chamferChamfer
A chamfer is a beveled edge connecting two surfaces. If the surfaces are at right angles, the chamfer will typically be symmetrical at 45 degrees. A fillet is the rounding off of an interior corner. A rounding of an exterior corner is called a "round" or a "radius"."Chamfer" is a term commonly...
ed order. The nave has four bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
s. The chancel measures 25 feet (7.6 m) by 18 feet (5.5 m). It contains an organ chamber and a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
.
Stained glass in the church includes images of Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc
Saint Joan of Arc, nicknamed "The Maid of Orléans" , is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France who claimed divine guidance, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, which paved the way for the...
and Saint George
Saint George
Saint George was, according to tradition, a Roman soldier from Syria Palaestina and a priest in the Guard of Diocletian, who is venerated as a Christian martyr. In hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Catholic , Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, and the Oriental Orthodox...
by Lancaster based firm Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt
Shrigley and Hunt was the name of an English firm which produced stained glass windows and art tiles.The business began in the 1750s when Shrigley's was a painting, carving and gilding firm in Lancaster, Lancashire....
. There is a baptismal font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dating from 1848.
Churchyard
The churchyard surrounds the church, particularly to the south and east. There are sandstone gates and gate pierPier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
s that date from the late 18th century. A lychgate
Lychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
dates from 1907. To the north, there is a two-tiered burial vault
Burial vault (tomb)
A burial vault is a structural underground tomb.It is a stone or brick-lined underground space or 'burial' chamber for the interment of a dead body or bodies. They were originally and are still often vaulted and usually have stone slab entrances...
built into a hill, with the remains of the Bradshaw family. South of the church lies an Anglo Saxon high cross
High cross
A high cross or standing cross is a free-standing Christian cross made of stone and often richly decorated. There was a unique Early Medieval tradition in Ireland and Britain of raising large sculpted stone crosses, usually outdoors...
. The cross is carved sandstone and consists of a base, measuring 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) by 1.4 metres (4.6 ft), with a shaft and cross head. 11th-century carvings on the shaft depict the legend of Sigurd
Sigurd
Sigurd is a legendary hero of Norse mythology, as well as the central character in the Völsunga saga. The earliest extant representations for his legend come in pictorial form from seven runestones in Sweden and most notably the Ramsund carving Sigurd (Old Norse: Sigurðr) is a legendary hero of...
.
Approximately 4 metres (13.1 ft) south-east of the porch there is a 17th-century sundial
Sundial
A sundial is a device that measures time by the position of the Sun. In common designs such as the horizontal sundial, the sun casts a shadow from its style onto a surface marked with lines indicating the hours of the day. The style is the time-telling edge of the gnomon, often a thin rod or a...
. The base is sandstone and is inscribed with "For Saint Wilfrite Church at Halton 1635. Pereunt et imputantur".
Assessment and administration
English HeritageEnglish Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
designated St Wilfrid's a Grade II listed building on 4 October 1967. The Grade II designation—the lowest of the three grades—is for buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". Architectural historians Pevsner and Hartwell (2009) say that the church is "easily recognizable" as the work of Paley and Austin. The 18th-century gates and piers and the sundial have received separate Grade II designations. The high cross has been designated a scheduled monument as a "good example of 11th century art styles".
St Wilfrid's is an active parish church
Church of England parish church
A parish church in the Church of England is the church which acts as the religious centre for the people within the smallest and most basic Church of England administrative region, known as a parish.-Parishes in England:...
in the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn
Diocese of Blackburn
The Diocese of Blackburn is a Church of England diocese, covering much of Lancashire, created in 1926 from part of the Diocese of Manchester. The Diocese includes the towns of Blackburn, Blackpool, Burnley, and the cities of Lancaster, and Preston, as well as a large part of the Ribble Valley...
, which is part of the Province of York
Province of York
The Province of York is one of two ecclesiastical provinces making up the Church of England, and consists of 14 dioceses which cover the northern third of England and the Isle of Man. York was elevated to an Archbishopric in 735 AD: Ecgbert of York was the first archbishop...
. It is in the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the Deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of Tunstall. St Wilfrid's shares a benefice with St Saviour's Church
St Saviour's Church, Aughton
St Saviour's Church, Aughton, is located to the north of the hamlet of Aughton, Lancashire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice is united with those of St Wilfrid, Halton and...
in Aughton and St Luke's Church in Slyne-with-Hest.