Roman Catholic Church of St Wilfrid, Dilworth, Longridge

Image: © Rude Health Taken: 16 Dec 2012

The Roman Catholic church of St. Wilfrid was opened in 1886; it had been preceded by a smaller building, now the school, in 1869. Catholics from Longridge formerly went to Alston Lane Chapel until the Reverend Henry Brown from Ribchester started a movement for the construction of a church nearer their homes. The Chapel was designed by Mr Hughes of Preston and it was originally built without a tower due to lack of funds and the porch, tower and steeple were added in 1908. The church possesses the head of an old processional cross, found in the neighbourhood about 1830. While an old house was being pulled down a boy playing about found the cross and some other religious objects on a ledge. The brass cross, bearing a rough carved figure of Christ, is said to have been used at the old Catholic Chapel at Longridge which stood on the site of the present church before the Reformation. The church also possesses a carved oak chair made for John Towers, Bishop of Peterborough, 1631.

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