Church Of St Wilfrid

Church of St Wilfrid

Parish church. Built in mid-14th century with 15th-century, circa 1530, and 17th-century work. Restored circa 1867 by Sir George Gilbert Scott. Constructed of coursed and squared greenstone with limestone dressings and stone slate roofs.

The church comprises a western tower, nave, aisles (including an additional 19th-century north aisle), south porch with parvise, chancel, and north chapel.

The four-stage tower was rebuilt between 1525 and 1535, though the top stage and parapet are 19th-century work. It features a moulded plinth, three string courses, and a castellated parapet with pinnacles and stepped corner buttresses. The paired belfry lights have 19th-century cusped heads with quatrefoils and moulded hoods. The west doorway is continuously moulded with a deeply sunken middle order. The first floor contains a three-light window and the second floor a two-light window, both with panelled tracery. The 19th-century north aisle has a four-light west window. In the north wall are three further three-light windows with flat heads and a pointed doorway. The east window has four lights. The north chapel contains two recut reticulated windows and a pointed doorway, with a further four-light reticulated window in the east wall.

The early 14th-century chancel has a three-light reticulated window in the north wall and two on the south, all with moulded hoods. All chancel windows are set in full-height recessed openings. The handsome contemporary five-light east window is particularly notable. A 14th-century low side window appears on the south side. The south aisle east window has three lights with cusped intersecting tracery. In the south wall are two three-light panel-traceried windows, one with flat head and one with triangular head. Beyond the south porch is a late 17th-century four-light mullioned and transomed window with cyma moulded cornice.

The 16th-century gabled south porch is surmounted by a parvise room. It has moulded plinth, stepped corner buttresses, and a moulded parapet with pinnacles. The outer arch is four-centred with moulded hood. The upper chamber is lit by single three-light windows to south and west with deep chamfered reveals. Within the porch is a cambered doorway in the west wall leading to the parvise. The inner south doorway has engaged angle shafts with floriate capitals and filleted roll moulded head, moulded hood with 19th-century stops. The contemporary door features panel tracery in the upper part and an ogee-headed wicket with early lock plate and latch.

Interior

The nave arcades are 14th-century with four bays, octagonal shafts with floriate capitals, and double-chamfered arches. The north-western pier has a plain octagonal moulded capital. The 16th-century tower arch has octagonal responds and triple-chamfered arch. The 19th-century chancel arch has single-chamfered order and reveals. The north aisle arcade, added by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1867, comprises four bays matching the nave. At the east end of the original north aisle is a 16th-century four-centred continuously moulded doorway to the north chapel, above which is a three-light panel-traceried window. In the south aisle is a trefoil-headed piscina. At the west end of the nave, the rood loft doorway and four turning steps survive. In the north wall of the chancel are a pair of 19th-century moulded arches serving the organ and vestry. In the south wall is a 14th-century triple sedilia.

Most fittings and the font are 19th-century. The late 14th-century rood screen comprises five bays with pierced panel tracery in upper and lower parts with cusped ogee arches, bearing traces of original paint. Above is a 20th-century rood design by L. Bond. The richly decorated Jacobean pulpit has panels with C20 base and steps. One panel is arched with grotesque figures and the other in panelled design. At the angles are fluted Ionic columns.

Stained glass panels in the chancel and north chapel north windows date to the 14th century and are decorated with foliage. The east window contains stained glass by Sir Ninian Comper.

A large standing alabaster monument in the chancel, surrounded by original wrought iron railings, commemorates Sir Robert Christopher (died 1668) and his wife, of Alford Manor House. It features recumbent effigies with the deceased in armour, hand on breast. The back wall carries an eared plaque with broken segmental pediment and coat of arms. The tomb chest corners have swagged balusters, and the west end displays a further coat of arms. The work is attributed, probably wrongly, to Edward Strong. In the south aisle is a late 17th-century scrolled cartouche wall monument surmounted by a female bust, possibly of a member of the Tiptoft family. In the nave is a ledger slab with full-length portrait in low relief and black letter inscription to Richard de Watton, a priest, who died in the late 14th century.

Historical Context

The church was rebuilt by William of Tothby on the site of an earlier church pulled down circa 1350. The North Chapel was founded as a chantry chapel by the Tothby family in 1396. The parvise was first used as a Grammar School, founded by Francis Spanning in 1566.