The Reverend William Glaister was the curate and later vicar of the church in 1876. His sisterElizabeth Glaister was a novelist with an interest in embroidery. She created ecclesiastical embroideries for the church.[4]
In his bookEngland's Thousand Best Churches,Simon Jenkins begins his description of St Wulfram's: "Here is the finest steeple in England",[5] and in 2020 an online contest run by poetJay Hulme named it as the finest non-cathedral English church.[6]
The spire, at 274 feet (84 m), is the sixth highest in the country (Salisbury,Norwich andOld Coventry Cathedrals' are higher), and third highest of any parish church, after theChurch of St Walburge, Preston, and St James' Church, Louth. It is the second highest of anyAnglican parish church in the UK, after St James', and second highest in Lincolnshire, after St James'.[citation needed]
In 2013 an appeal was launched to save the spire.[7]
The present organ by John Harris and John Byfield dates from 1735. It was rebuilt byGeorge Pike England in 1809 and 1833, byForster and Andrews between 1845 and 1868, byNorman and Beard in 1906 (producing the organ that may be heard today), byRushworth and Dreaper in 1952, by Cousans of Lincoln in 1972, and by Phillip Wood and Sons of Huddersfield in 1993–94 when a fourth manual was added.[8] The case designed bySir Walter Tapper RA took eight years to complete. The old organ case now encloses the choir vestry in the north west corner of the church. The specification for the organ, regarded as one of the finest in Lincolnshire, can be found at the National Pipe Organ Register.[citation needed]
The chimes were repaired and a new clock installed byGillett and Bland of Croydon in December 1876.[13] The costs of this work were £280 (equivalent to £33,294 in 2023).[14] The clock was set going on 17 February 1877.[15]
On 5 November 1877 the new clock was inspected bySir Edmund Beckett, who assessed that it was one of the best turned out by Gillett and Bland.[16]
Media related toSt Wulfram's, Grantham at Wikimedia Commons
