St Aidan's Church, Billinge

The church originated as a chapel of ease in about 1539. The chapel was replaced by the present church, built between 1716 and 1718, and was designed by Henry Sephton. A major influence in this rebuilding was James Scarisbricke, a Liverpool merchant who donated £200 towards its cost. The church had a rectangular plan measuring by with a small apse at the east end, and could seat 200 people. Galleries were added to the north and south sides of the church in 1823 and 1824 respectively. The building was rebuilt and extended in 1907–08 by T. G. Jackson. He moved the apse towards the east, adding a transept to the south, and an organ loft and vestry to the north, thereby increasing the size of the chancel. At the same time the north and south galleries and the box pews were removed. A glass screen was inserted under the west gallery in 1993. ==Architecture==

Exterior St Aidan's is built in stone and has a stone-slate roof. Its plan consists of a four-bay nave, a south transept forming a chapel, a north organ loft, and a chancel with a round apse. At the west end of the nave are pairs of corner pilasters, and portions of a triglyph frieze. In the centre is a doorway flanked by detached Doric columns. It was made by Jardine and Company of Manchester, and has two manuals and 19 stops. ==Appraisal==

On 23 August 1966 the church was designated as a Grade II* listed building. ==Associated structures==

On the south side of the church in the churchyard is the tomb of George and Kitty Smith. It is inscribed with the date 1720and consists of a stone coffin with rings at the ends. On the top is a carving of a curtain and of a snake encircling a winged skull. There is an inscription but, apart from the date, this is illegible. The tomb is listed at Grade II. This grade is the lowest of the three grades of listing, and is applied to buildings that are "nationally important and of special interest". ==Present day==

St Aidan's is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Wigan, the archdeaconry of Warrington, and the diocese of Liverpool. Its style of worship is Evangelical. The church holds regular services on Sundays and weekdays, arranges baptisms, weddings and funerals, and runs a number of organisations, ==See also==