Bremetenacum
When the Roman's invaded Britain in 43 A.D. their instinct was to push the boundaries of their empire as far as they possibly could. As their armies pushed forward they established military bases to support the troops in the furthest corners of the world as they knew it; one such was Bremetenacum near a ford of the River Ribble. Established in the late first or early second centuries Bremetenacum Veteranorum became an important cavalry fort with a large and prosperous veteran and civilian settlement clustered around it.
Faith comes to Ribbelcastre
In the fourth century, the Roman Empire, surrounded by hostile tribes, began to contract and its legions were withdrawn to defend Rome itself. The settlements they left behind did not immediately collapse but gradually, over time, the infrastructure that maintained the imposing buildings, the headquarters and Legionary temple (the Principium), the granary's and bath houses declined and they fell into disrepair. Despite the collapse of the outward symbols of the Roman world the community that remained, many of them descendants of retired Roman soldiers, will have maintained many of the more intangible aspects of Roman society. Most importantly for the story of Saint Wilfrid's, one of these would be the early flowering of Christianity in Northern England; spread, with the Roman Army, throughout the Empire in the third and fourth centuries.
The Celtic Church
We cannot guess to what extent the people of Bremetenacum or Riblecastre adopted the new faith but by the 6th Century it is probable that a small wooden church, barely big enough to cover an alter, would have been erected. When the early church builders looked for a suitable site it would have been obvious; the site of the old Principium will have maintained its aura as a sacred and important place and its position on high, dry, ground next to the river would have been very important.
Saint Wilfrid
In the middle of the 7th Century the great Saxon churchman, Saint Wilfrid, Bishop of Ripon and Archbishop of York, began a programme of church building that extended across the North of England. It is to this period that we attribute the beginnings of a Saint Wilfrid's as we see it now. We must imagine the replacement of the early Celtic wooden church with stone building incorporating the architectural features that the Bishop and his followers had seen during their travels in Italy. Although grander than its wooden predecessor the church would still only have been the size of the present chancel.
The Normans
The Domesday Book of 1086 makes no mention of a church at Ribchester. It describes Ribchester thus: "Ribelcastre, two carucates (of land)." The inhabitants of the district "are few; how many is not known; the remainder are waste". This might best be understood against the background of the suppression that followed the Northern Rebellion in 1069 when large parts of northern England were laid waste by Norman troops.
Although the Norman's imposed their domination over Saxon England through force of arms they also made their mark on the English Church through the replacement of the clergy and an extensive programme of church building. We can perhaps see a trace of this in the early history of Saint Wilfrid's. A church in Ribchester figures in 11th century Lancashire records and there is evidence of Norman architecture in the now blocked doorway in the North wall of the nave.
Early English 
While Saint Wilfrid's early history must be based on speculation by the 13th Century architectural evidence gives us a much clearer picture. Much of the Chancel and Nave that we see now were built during this period in what is now known as the Early English style. The lancet windows at the end of the chancel and the doorway with its 'hammer head' ornaments on the pillars are particular instances of this style. By now the church would have expanded to include a nave for the congregation to use.
The Fourteenth Century
It was during the 14th century that the church developed into the building that we see now. The chancel was extensively modified, in particular by the replacement of some of the original lancet windows in the south wall with larger windows, with two or three lights and tracery designed to display stained glass. Sedilia were incorporated into the South wall for the celebrant and his assistants to rest on; a double bowled piscina was set next to them for the washing of the chalice. In the middle of the North wall a small aperture was cut which has two possible uses. One possibility is it was a hagioscope or Leper's Squint through which lepers were able to follow the service and take communion while remaining outside the church. Others believe that it is an Easter Sepulchre; used to recreate the Easter mystery at a time where visual imagery played an important part in worship.
 At this time the church would have been divided by an oak screen which divided the chancel from the nave. Known as the Rood this might have had a gallery for singers above it (with an entrance, now blocked in, behind the Reading Desk). Above the screen, stretching up to the apex of the arch, would have been a tympanum. Made out of either wood or wattle and daub this would originally have been decorated with a representation of the Last Judgement; later it would have, by law, had to have been decorated with the Royal Arms (the parish records tell us that this was done in 1707 at a cost of £8).
In addition to the remodelling of the chancel the North Chapel (now known as the Dutton Choir) was added as a chantry. Some of the material, including perhaps the lancet windows in the North wall, might have been taken from the nave wall into which the chapel was placed. A chantry was usually paid for by a wealthy member of the congregation as a place where prayers could be said for that persons soul. Often the person would pay for the priests to perform this office as well. In 1349 a further chantry was built, in the South aisle, known as the Hoghton Choir. It is thought that the remains of over 300 parishioners who succumbed to the Black Death are buried beneath the Dutton Choir.
 The Dutton Choir shows remnants of the wall painting that must have adorned much of the church in the mediaeval period. During this period, when few would have been able to read, visual imagery played an important part in guiding the faithful. The image is of Saint Christopher carrying the Holy Child; pilgrims crossing the Ribble would have prayed to the Saint for a safe journey. Just visible at the foot of the figure is some text from the Jacobean period when bible verses and the Ten Commandments were often painted on the walls in place of the earlier images; an indication of a greater reliance placed on the Word of God during that period.
In the corner of the Dutton Choir is an Aumbrey. This served as a wall safe for valuable items; nowadays it is used for the Reservation of the Sacrament. A Piscina is on the South wall near the Altar. The trefoil pillar between the Dutton Choir and the nave shows small carved faces. Gaps in the pillars show where a screen would have been placed; this screen has been moved and now encloses the Hoghton Choir. It was perhaps during this period that the Font was installed at the back of the Nave (although not in its present position). Showing signs of being much older it retains the original staple through which a padlock was passed to secure a lid on the font and prevent the theft of Holy Water, which was believed the hold supernatural powers and could be used for witchcraft. At some time during the 14th century the porch was added to the South of the nave. Originally a two-story structure the upper room may have served as a storage place for muniments or perhaps as a school.
The Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries
The 15th and 16th centuries saw the building of the tower and the replacement of the steeply pitched 13th century roofs of the chancel and nave with one with a less steep angle. The latter can be dated to 1527 by the finding of that date on one of the beams. As part of the re-roofing of the chancel and nave their walls were increased in height and it is possible that the entire wall of the South aisle was rebuilt to allow the inclusion of the larger square headed windows.
During the Henry VIII's Reformation many of the statues that would have adorned the niches and corbels of the Church would have been removed as would many of the rich fittings; taken by the King's Commissioners.
During this period formal written records began to be kept and registers of baptism, marriage and burial exist from this time.
The Seventeenth Century
The 17th century was a time of radical change for the Church in England and for Saint Wilfrid's. The breakdown of religious uniformity that had ignited the English Civil War enabled independent churches to flourish under the Commonwealth. In particular the Baptists became a prominent force in religious thinking. The rise of non-conformist religious thinking was to lead to some dramatic events and significant changes at Saint Wilfrid's.
In the early part of the century the church received one of its most distinctive adornments, the pulpit. The pulpit  was erected during the vicarate of Christopher Hindle and was probably his gift to the Church. Hindle was Rector from 1617 to 1647 and the pulpit is marked with the date 1636 and the initials CH. This pulpit was the scene of a notorious incident which reflects the countries religious turmoil. The Reverend Hindle was a royalist and had sided firmly with the King in that conflict. When Parliament took power they formally deprived Hindle of his position. Despite this he continued to preach in Ribchester until things came to a head one Sunday in 1649. Parliament's nominee, a Mr. Ingham, supported by a faction within the Village arrived early at church and occupied the front pews; Ingham ascended into the pulpit with the intention of preventing Hindle from preaching. There then ensued one of the more unusual sermons delivered at St Wilfrid's with the Hindle delivering a sermon from the top step of the pulpit to a congregation including a rather bemused group of Roundhead soldiers. In the end this protest was to no avail and Hindle was ejected from his living and retired to Blackburn.Religious controversies continued for much of this century and the next and two men executed for their part in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715 are buried in the churchyard.
It was during the 1650's that the Church lost many of its mediaeval adornments, seen as idolatrous by the non-conformists, including its stained glass; the few fragments now incorporated into the windows of the Church were discovered during 19th century restoration of the church.
At the end of the century, perhaps in keeping with a feeling that worship should be more open and accessible to the congregation, the Dormer Windows were added to make Saint Wilfrid's a much better lit building. The sundial in the church yard was added on a base which may date from the 13th or 14th centuries and which would originally have supported a Churchyard Cross. Of interest is the inscription that was added to the base at the time that the sundial was added: "I am a shadow - so art thou - I mark time - dost thou?"
The Gallery
 Under the Commonwealth organs were forbidden and ordered to be destroyed. With the Restoration and the reintroduction of the Book of Common Prayer it was found that there was no music accompaniment for worship. Consequently a band of gallery minstrels was created and, in 1736, a gallery was built at the West end of the nave. From then until 1861, when the gallery minstrels were disbanded to make way for the organ, the minstrels provided musical accompaniment to the services at Saint Wilfrid's.
The Bells
Although there would have been bells at St. Wilfrid's long before, the first written record of bells appears in the parish records of the 26th August 1666 when the sum of 15 shillings was paid for three bell ropes. There are six bells in the tower now; they were cast in 1822 by Whitechapel Bell Foundry in London and range from three hundredweight for the Treble to eleven hundredweight for the Tenor. They were rehung in 1928 and most recently, in 1993, the second and fourth bells were recast and all the bells rehung.
Into the Twenty First Century
The most recent history of the Church has been characterised by the need to preserve the ancient fabric for future generations. Whilst we can enjoy the beauty and history of the church that we see around us; its role as God's house, hallowed by the prayers of countless generations, needs to be maintained. Substantial restoration was required in 1917 after a disastrous fire but more insidious has been the damage caused by such things as an out of date oil fired heating system, leaking roofs and walls and an 'antique' electrical system. Major appeals in 1993 and 2005, assisted by grants from English Heritage, have allowed a great deal of work to be completed to ensure the continuation of Saint Wilfrid's role as the focus of Christian worship in Ribchester and the surrounding communities, a role begun over 1600 years ago.
References:
SMITH, TOM C.; SHORTT, REV. JONATHAN: The History of the Parish of Ribchester in the County of Lancaster.
J. H FINCH: A goodly heritage: Being a description of Ribchester Parish Church
|
