Church Of St Wilfrid

Church of St Wilfrid, West Hallam

This is a parish church built principally in the 14th and 15th centuries, restored during the 19th century. It is constructed of coursed squared gritstone with gritstone dressings, and has a Welsh slate roof with decorative ridge tiles. Moulded stone coped gables and parapets characterise the exterior.

The building comprises a west tower, aisled nave, chancel and north porch. A moulded plinth runs around the structure. The west tower is of two stages. The tall lower stage has low diagonal buttresses to the west. A moulded west doorway with buttress shafts is flanked by a 3-light Perpendicular window above, featuring a depressed four-centred arch and castellated transom. A single lancet window opens to the south. The bell stage displays 2-light cusped Y-tracery bell openings on each face, with a clock on the north side. Battlements with gargoyles at the angles crown the tower.

The south aisle dates to the 19th century and comprises three bays divided by buttresses. A doorway with moulded pointed arch and studded door occupies the west bay, with 2-light windows of two cusped lancets under square heads in the other bays. A west window of two cusped lancets lights the aisle. A 20th-century boiler house stands to the west of the aisle. A 17th-century clerestory of three 2-light windows with arched lights under square heads and a plain parapet extends along the south side.

The chancel is divided into two bays by a buttress. It contains two 2-light windows under square heads, consisting of cusped lancets with mouchettes above, both of 19th-century date. A 3-light east window has Decorated tracery renewed in the 19th century. The north side of the chancel features a 2-light window of two cusped lancets under a four-centred arch, deeply set with concave surround.

A north vestry continues from the aisle, with an east doorway featuring wave moulded surround and hoodmould with head stops. Above this is a window of three cusped lancet lights under an almost triangular head. The north aisle comprises three bays without buttresses, containing three windows of two cusped lancet lights under square heads with returned hoodmoulds. The clerestory matches that on the south side. A square porch with wave-moulded doorway, buttress shafts and hoodmould with head stops occupies the north side. A single lancet opens at the west end of the north aisle.

Internally, three-bay arcades feature octagonal piers with abaci and double chamfered arches. A single chamfered tower arch has an inner chamfered order on corbels. A double chamfered chancel arch rests on semi-circular responds.

The chancel floor contains various incised slabs and brass indents. A monument in a semi-circular headed recess commemorates Walter Powtrell, who died in 1598, and his wife, shown as recumbent alabaster effigies on a tomb chest. An incised slab records Thomas Powtrell, who died in 1484. A wall tablet in the south aisle to William Simpson, died 1790, was created by Braddow. A tablet dated 1697 in the north aisle bears a Latin inscription and heavy scrolled pediment. A corbelled out piscina with plain chamfered arch stands in the chancel, while a tiny trefoiled piscina set low down appears in the south aisle chapel. An unmoulded octagonal font on a square base with broaches at the angles of the bowl is present. A 19th-century Jacobean-style pulpit and 19th-century tiled sanctuary have been introduced.

Stained glass includes a chancel east window of 1855 by O'Connor. Medieval glass survives in the chancel north window with quarries depicting birds and later shields. The chancel south window dates to the 19th century and features figures set in architectural niches against a background of acorns and oak leaves. A north aisle west window dates to 1928.