St Elphin

Among parish churches, it is the third tallest in England. But nothing survives above ground of the original building (a Saxon wooden church), and only the chancel and crypt remain from its successor, the first stone building, which was built in 1354.

Shelled and badly damaged by the Parliamentary forces in the Civil War of the 17th century, the tower of that church had to be rebuilt in 1696, and the nave was rebuilt in l770.

The south aisle was added in the early 19th century, and the whole building was restored between 1859 and 1867, when the present distinctive spire was added. Inside, galleries in the aisles contain pews with doors, and some of the stained glass is by AWN Pugin.