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alan robinson Really good, and tastefully done. Makes me want to visit.

Christine Corcoran Beautifully presented

Lynn Lowe Fascinating, I really enjoyed learning more about the church ..... thankyou :)

lyndafinney Love the film and the music

Marion Brown A beautiful film.

Marjorie Stretch absolutely wonderful = brought back many memories and few tears

Paul Thanks Jim....that was great.

adamsome So cool

brisha that was cool

Jim Sir Edward Wrightington of Wrightington Hall.

Jim The church of St. Wilfrid's, Standish, Wigan.

Jim The present church was built during the reign of Elizabeth I on the site of at least two previous churches. Its style is a combination of both Gothic and Renaissance.

Jim Time to leave and make our way back to where we started by the small gate on Rectory Lane.

Jim St. Wilfrid's has association with Miles Standish who sailed with the Pilgrim Fathers on the Mayflower. His ancestral home was at nearby Duxbury Hall, Chorley, but he would have known this church.

Jim I hope you enjoyed my slideshow, I am not an historian or a professional photographer, if you want more information about St. Wilfrids you should search online. If you enjoyed my slideshow leave a comment, its nice to know someone is watching it.

Jim A closeup of the sundial above the entrance, on it the inscription "Let no cloud of bitterness thine accustom'd serenity o'ershadow"

Jim By the main entrance, a memorial to a controversial local character, who started life as a farm boy in Standish and made his fortune in the slve trade over 40 years.

Jim .. the scene below the figures depicts the sea front of Liverpool - a port heavily engaged in the slave trade.

Jim On our way we catch a glimpse of the rectory on Rectory Lane.

Jim ...to the Peace Gate built in the 1920s, seen from the entrance to the church. Within it are memorials to the local dead of two world wars and to local miners who lost their lives in local pits.

Jim A walk through the Peace Gate and we turn to survey the church and its tall spire with its clocks dating from the 1850s - there is no clock on the easter side, why? because it faced empty countryside.

Jim The spire with its lightning conductor and cable.

Jim It is this ceiling that earns it its prestigious classification of a Grade One Listed Building - the only one in Wigan and district.

Jim The East end of the church, on the right, a glimpse of the old Standish school.

Jim Approaching the church from its rear, or Eastend,

Jim The path takes us around the side of the church....

Jim The entrance porch. above which is an ancient sun dial.

Jim The greenery by the front of the church adds beauty to the eye of the visitor, and gives a pleasant aspect.

Jim The interior.

Jim When I visited it was Standish Festival week, and various art and photographic exhibits were on show in the church.

Jim The impressive window above the altar.

Jim The Duxbury chapel.

Jim The magnificent oak beam ceiling decorated with individual carved bosses. The oaks for it were sourced locally.

Jim A closer view of another section of the ceiling.

Jim A view from the altar to the organ at the far end of the nave. In 1969 lead theives stripped the roof and water damaged the old organ irrepairably.

Jim Under these arches a balcony was once constructed as the congregation grew with the influx caused by the Industrial Revolution.

Jim Looking out to the porch, with its rest seat, in olden days there were no pews and people stood for up to one and a half hours of service - shelves like these around the walls of the church gave ease

Jim Then these pews were added in the 1850s.

Jim The ceiling cross suspended from the ceiling in the nave.

Jim The tomb of Sir Edward Wrightington built by his heir Hugh Dicconson upon his death in 1658.

Jim The altar.

Jim The nave and timbered ceiling seen from the altar.

Jim The great window above the altar, with its bright stained glass leaded windows.

Jim A side window.

Jim During my visit a guided tour of the church was taking place..

Jim ..the guide pointed out these two interesting items by the church porch, a glacial boulder excavated nearby, and an ancient stone coffin, with a hole in the bottom....

Jim ...the coffin would be filled with embalming fluids to preserve the body, later the coffin would be tipped upright to drain this fluid out of the hole in the base. Now it is filled with flowers.

Jim The glorious tranquility of an Autumn day in the churchyard of St. Wilfrid's, Standish, a great introduction to our visit.

Jim I'm starting my slideshow the same way I arrived, from the rear of the chuch and through the churchyard.

Jim Inside the porch, a fragment of masonry decorated with Arabesque tracery and thought to have been brought back from a crusade of the Holy Land.

Jim THe ancient font the oldest part of which is the column.

Jim We leave through the churchyard gate onto Rectory Lane, I hope you enjoyed your visit. Why not visit my Wigan Parish church slideshow on PhotoPeach.

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