Church of St Wilfrid, Northenden

The origin of St Wilfrid's is possibly Saxon, with a mention in the Domesday Book of a "church (at) Norwardine: (held by) Ranulf and Bigot from Earl Hugh." The present church building dates from the 15th century, but was substantially altered in the 1870s. In 1872, the architect J. S. Crowther was commissioned to undertake repairs, but found that the medieval church was substantially without foundations. He therefore undertook a complete rebuilding programme.

The church is built on a cruciform floorplan of red Alderley Edge sandstone with slate roofs. The core of St Wilfrid's church building is 15th century in origin. Crowther's rebuilding work 1873-76 replaced much of the medieval fabric in the main church building. Crowther's work includes much Gothic ornamentation including carved grotesques and crocketed pinnacles. Crowther also added a pair of octagonal stair turrets. Crowther planned to rebuild the bell tower but this scheme was not realised, and today the tower is the only remaining medieval part of the building, designed in the Perpendicular Gothic style. There is a complete set of Victorian stained glass dating from the 1850s which was…