Church Of St Wilfrid

The Church of St Wilfrid is a parish church of 13th- to 16th-century date, constructed in coursed rubble and large dressed stone with ashlar dressings. It comprises a west tower, nave with north and south aisles, chancel, and south porch.

The west tower dates to the 14th and 15th centuries and stands in two stages. It has a chamfered plinth, string course, and an eaves band decorated with masks and eight gargoyles, topped by a moulded crenellated parapet. Four corner buttresses with single setoffs are engaged with the aisles to the east. The first stage contains, to the west, a cusped ogee-headed lancet in a square-headed reveal with hood mould, and above this a single lancet with a clock above again. The north side has a 19th-century lean-to building with a slab roof and a door to a stokehole. The second stage has four 15th-century cusped double lancet bell openings with Decorated tracery, chamfered mullions, chamfered and rebated reveals with hood moulds, and mask and shield stops, all restored.

The nave comprises three bays with coved eaves, four gargoyles, a crenellated parapet, and an east gable with a cross. On each side are four restored 15th-century triple lancets with cusped four-centred arched heads, coved mullions, splayed reveals, and hood moulds.

The north aisle dates to the 15th century and has a chamfered and moulded plinth, sill band, eaves band, and crenellated parapet. To the west is a gabled stone chimney. A pair of diagonal buttresses with two setoffs bear Barton arms in square panels, with a similar intermediate buttress. The north side contains, to the east, two 15th-century elliptical-headed quadruple lancets with simple panel tracery, coved mullions, coved and chamfered reveals, and hood mould. To the west is a restored elliptical-headed doorway with chamfered reveal and hood mould. The east end has a restored 15th-century triple lancet with Tudor-arched heads, hood mould, and mask stops.

The south aisle dates to the 15th century and comprises three bays. It has a chamfered plinth, string course, coved eaves band with gargoyles, and crenellated parapet. The east end contains a 15th-century triple lancet with coved mullions and reveal and hood mould. The south side has, to the east, two restored 15th-century triple lancets with cusped heads, coved mullions and reveals, and hood moulds, that to the east bearing mask stops. The west end has a 16th-century double lancet with cusped trefoil heads, coved mullion, and splayed reveal with triangular head.

The chancel dates to the 15th century and comprises two bays with chamfered plinth, string course, coved eaves band with gargoyles, moulded crenellated parapet, and east gable with cross. To the east are a pair of diagonal buttresses with three setoffs, and on each side a similar intermediate buttress. The north side has two restored 15th-century quadruple lancets with elliptical heads and panel tracery and hood moulds with mask stops. The east end has a 15th-century quintuple lancet of similar design, with coved mullions, coved reveal, and hood mould with mask stops. The south side has an off-centre priest's door with cove and roll moulded surround and hood mould with mask and foliate stops, flanked by single quadruple lancets identical to those on the north side.

The south porch dates to the 15th century and has a chamfered plinth, string course, coved eaves band with gargoyles, crenellated parapet, and coped gable with cross. A pair of diagonal buttresses with two setoffs flanks a pointed south doorway with moulded and rebated surround, round responds with moulded bases and crenellated capitals, splayed outer reveal, and hood mould with mask stops. The porch interior has stone benches and a 15th-century low-pitched roof with reeded arched tie beams. The inner south doorway is 13th-century with chamfered and rebated head and hood mould, containing a 15th-century two-leaved plank door with strap hinges and an 18th-century latch.

The nave north arcade, 13th-century, comprises three bays with two octagonal piers with altered round bases and moulded capitals. The octagonal east respond has flanking shafts, square bases, and moulded capitals. The octagonal west respond has a moulded octagonal base and square waterleaf capital. The arches are double chamfered and rebated with hood moulds and mask stops. The south arcade is 15th-century and comprises three bays with two unequal-sided octagonal piers running direct into arches, flanking shafts with round bases and octagonal capitals. The arches are splayed and rebated with hood moulds. The nave has a low-pitched 15th-century roof with moulded arched tie beams on moulded curved brackets, moulded purlins, and foliate bosses. Alternate brackets bear figures holding shields. The tower arch has a pair of half-octagonal responds with moulded bases and capitals. A 20th-century timber screen stands above, and an organ case with projecting console fills the arch. The north aisle contains a window with stained-glass panels bearing the Barton rebus to the west, and to the east a window with 15th-century stained-glass fragments in the head. The east window contains stained glass from 1938. The east end has to the south a 15th-century plank door to the rood loft, with a 15th-century lean-to roof on corbels with moulded principal timbers. The south aisle contains, to the east, a 20th-century traceried panelled timber screen. To the south are a 20th-century aumbry and a 13th-century style piscina. The east window contains fragments of 15th-century stained glass with the Barton rebus. The west window has stained glass dated circa 1913. A 15th-century lean-to roof with wall plate on corbels, chamfered principal timbers, and foliate bosses covers this aisle.

The chancel arch is 14th-century, restored, coved and rebated with hood mould and moulded round responds with moulded bases and capitals. A large, heavily cusped five-bay screen, partly 15th-century and partly 20th-century, has a nodding-crested canopy forming a rood loft, above which stands a carved and painted rood. The chancel comprises two bays and has an east window with stained glass dated circa 1905. The east end has to the south a restored 15th-century piscina with elliptical head. To the north is an aumbry with a 19th-century Decorated-style surround featuring crocketed pinnacles and an ogee finial. The roof is 15th-century in style, restored, with curved brackets on corbels, moulded timbers, and foliate bosses and shields with monograms.

Fittings include a traceried panelled timber pulpit, a 19th-century lectern on octagonal timber stem, a moulded octagonal font on octagonal stem inscribed 'H B Feb 20 1662 CM RSAC' with a timber cover carrying a figure on brackets from 1931, remains of a 14th-century Decorated-style oak screen, a 17th-century chip-carved chest with legs, a 17th-century moulded oak table with turned legs, a late 17th-century altar rail with panelled newels and turned balusters, a disused eggcup font bowl, and a 20th-century timber reredos. 19th-century linked chairs and 20th-century oak stalls incorporating fragments of 15th-century work and a fleur-de-lys finial are also present.

Monuments include a truncated rectangular pyramid with incised arrises on a chamfered base to John Smithe, 1583; a painted alabaster and slate wall monument with draped incised panel in moulded surround, with apron and draped arms above, to William Woolhouse, 1664; an inlaid slate tablet from 1822; a Classical marble and slate tablet with Egyptian influence from 1827; a slate tablet with oval brass cartouche from 1827; a Classical marble and slate tablet from 1853; brasses from 1874 and 1913; and a timber war memorial in a gabled cabinet from 1918.