St Wilfrid's Church, Melling

St Wilfrid's Church, Melling
St Wilfrid's Church, Melling, from the southeast
St Wilfrid's Church, Melling Location in the City of Lancaster district
Coordinates: 54°08′05″N 2°36′59″W / 54.1347°N 2.6165°W / 54.1347; -2.6165
OS grid reference	SD 599 711
Location	Melling, Lancashire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	St Wilfrid, Melling
History
Dedication	Saint Wilfrid
Architecture
Status	Parish church
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	4 October 1967
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic, Gothic Revival
Completed	1866
Specifications
Spire height	55 feet (17 m)
Materials	Sandstone rubble Stone slate roof
Administration
Diocese	Blackburn
Province	York
Clergy
Rector	Rev Mark Harrison Cannon

St Wilfrid's Church is in Main Street, Melling, Lancashire, England. It is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade I listed building, and is an active Anglican church in the united benefice of East Lonsdale, the deanery of Tunstall, the archdeaconry of Lancaster and the diocese of Blackburn. Its benefice is combined with those of St Peter, Leck, St John the Baptist, Tunstall, St James the Less, Tatham, the Good Shepherd, Lowgill, and Holy Trinity, Wray.

The earliest fabric in the church dates from around 1300 or earlier but, as it is near the earthworks of a motte-and-bailey castle, it is possible that a church has been present on the site since the 10th century. Most of the present church dates from the late 15th century, with a restoration in 1763 when the clerestory was added. In 1891 a further restoration was carried out by the Lancaster architects Paley, Austin and Paley. This included reseating the church, and cost £1,100 (equivalent to £110,000 in 2015). A chapel known as the Morley chapel had been created as a chantry from a pre-existing chapel by John Morley who fought at Agincourt in 1415. This was heavily re-modelled in 1841 when the altar was removed, and was restored as a chapel in 1994–95.