Church Of St Wilfrid

MANCHESTER

SJ8390 FORD LANE, Northenden 698-1/24/775 (South side) 25/02/52 Church of St Wilfrid

GV II*

Parish church. C15 but rebuilt (except for the tower, which was restored) in 1873-76, to designs of J.S.Crowther. Coursed squared sandstone, slate roofs. Perpendicular style. West tower, nave with north and south aisles, chancel with north and south chapels. String courses (etc) variously enriched with carved grotesques, etc. The 3-stage tower with diagonal buttresses, moulded plinth, string-courses and embattled parapet, has a restored 2-centred arched west doorway with moulded surround and ogee hood with crocketed pinnacle, a restored 3-light west window with Perpendicular tracery, and restored 2-light louvred belfry windows. The 5-bay nave has pairs of 2-light windows with Perpendicular tracery, and crocketed corner pinnacles. The aisles are buttressed and have segmental-pointed 3-light windows with hoodmoulds, except in the 2nd bay where the south aisle has a gabled porch with angle-buttresses, a 4-centred arched doorway with shafts and carved spandrels, and a statue in a niche with a tall crocketed pinnacle; and the north aisle has a 2-centred arched doorway. The 2-bay south chapel and 3-bay north chapel, continued from the aisles (large octagonal pinnacles marking the junction), have 3-light windows with Perpendicular tracery; the chancel has a 3-light window on the south side; and at the east end the aisles and chancel have windows of 4, 5 and 5 lights with Perpendicular tracery. Interior: 5-bay aisle arcades of octagonal columns with moulded and embattled caps, and double-chamfered 2-centred arches with linked hoodmoulds which have figured stops; short wall-posts on large corbels in the form of angels holding shields with symbols of the crucifixion; tall chancel arch moulded in 2 orders; 2-bay north and south chancel arcades occupied by re-located screens of 1527 with thin tracery and elaborately carved leaf frieze; hammer-beam roof to chancel; various wall monuments to members of the Tatton and Egerton families including: Robert Tatton (d.1689), aedicule with putti; Mrs Egerton (d.1784), urn with carved flower garland; William Egerton (d.1806), woman lying on sarcophagus; and to Thomas Worthington (d.1856), mourning woman with 3 sarcophagi under weeping willow.

Listing NGR: SJ8324190062