The Rat and the Owl of Standish

You can find a family crest featuring an owl with a rat on the pew ends in the Standish family chapel. The current structure of the Church of St Wilfrid was rebuilt between 1582 and 1584 by Lawrence Shipway, resulting in a transitional architectural style. The nave arches appear undecided between Gothic and classical, featuring arches that are Gothic above columns of a Tuscan order.

The interior boasts a Tudor roof of panels and cross-braces covering the nave, aisles, and chancel. Described as one of the finest roofs in Lancashire, the roof features bosses that the vicar claims are all unique. The church is a Grade I listed building and remains an active Anglican parish church.

In 2025, a major restoration was completed on the 130-foot Victorian era spire at a cost of £500,000, with around half the money raised by locals. The work addressed cracks in the stonework caused by corroded ironwork and repaired internal wooden framework damaged by water. However, an infestation of deathwatch beetles was discovered in 2025 threatening the timber roof, leading the church to be placed on the Heritage at Risk Register by Historic England.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons