Page images
PDF
EPUB

the bead ornament, but this is stopped by the Decorated east window. The north chapel, belonging to the Slingsby family, is Early English origin, and has some lancet windows and two very fine Decorated ones of two and three lights. Within this chapel is a gorgeous tomb of the debased Elizabethan character, with the figures of Sir Francis and Lady Slingsby, obt. 1600. Also monumental figures in like style to others of the same family. The south chapel belonged to the Plumptons and has some Early Decorated windows of three lights, with mullions simply crossing. The font is an octagonal bowl, panelled with plain shields. The interior is shamefully disfigured by pews and galleries; the latter surround the nave entirely, and an especially frightful one at the east end, of great depth, extends over nearly the whole chancel, darkening it and obstructing the celebration of the communion service in its proper place. In this gallery is placed the organ, for which a hole is made in the ceiling. Such is the height of the gallery and the lowness of the roof. The pulpit is mounted upon an arch under the western arch of the tower.11

ST. MARY, GATE HELMSLEY (N. R.).

A small church having a good Perpendicular west tower, a nave and chancel. The tower is rather out of proportion to the rest of the church, and has a bold battlement and threelight window, but is only two stages in height. It opens to the nave by a pointed arch with continuous mouldings. The chancel opens to the nave by a semicircular arch, and in it is one Norman window and one small lancet. On the south side a small piscina. There are some open seats, and the interior is neat. Most of the windows are Late Perpendicular and square-headed.

ST. PETER AND ST. PAUL, HESLINGTON (E. R.).

A small church or chapel, having a nave with added north aisle and a chancel, and a small western tower. The greater

11 Length of the church 123 feet. The organ was erected in 1788. Hargrove's History of Knaresborough, published in 1821, states that there existed a wood screen and some ancient wood stalls in

the chancel. These have probably been sacrificed to make way for the present Protestant fittings.

[This church was restored in 1872 at a very considerable cost. -ED.]

part is late and poor, but there are three small Norman windows at the east end, and one in the upper part of its gable, also one on the south side.

ST. MARY AND ST. ALKELD, MIDDLEHAM, NORTH RIDING.

This church 12 has a west tower, a nave with side aisles and south porch, and a chancel with south aisle. The tower is not square, its east and west sides being the smallest, but has a battlement and four decayed pinnacles, the buttresses are diagonal, the west window Perpendicular of three lights, belfry windows square-headed and no regular string courses. The parapets of the church are well but simply moulded. The south porch has a small plain niche over the entrance, within it a doorway with arch mouldings and shafts, but these capitals have been mutilated. The windows of the south aisle are late and square-headed, with labels, except those at the east and west ends, which are Decorated, the east of three lights and good, the west of two lights. The northern windows are also square-headed. The nave is divided from each aisle by four large drop arches springing from octagonal columns of large size, the bases of which are square and appear to be Early English. Above the arches within the side aisles is on each side a range of stone brackets for the roof. The clerestory has square-headed Perpendicular windows of two lights. The chancel arch is wide, and the chancel is divided from its south aisle by a plain arch of elliptical form, which may perhaps have been altered. The east window of the chancel is Decorated, of four lights, the arch rather depressed. On the south side of the church beyond the aisle is a Perpendicular window, the sill of which is carried down low as a stall. Near the east window of the aisle is a pedestal for a statue, and on its south side a two-light Decorated window. The altar is raised on several steps.13 On the north side is a Perpendicular vestry, and over it a small square clerestory window. The church has for the most part modern ceilings. there are some ancient stalls formed into pews. The font The fout is modern, but has a cover of wood tabernacle work. Against the wall

12 It is remarkable that a Collegiate Church should not have been a more distinguished or spacious structure. This church being only a fair parochial one.

13 Below it is a square aperture in the wall which may perhaps have lighted crypt.

of the chancel is a slab sculptured with a crozier, a mitre, and an inscribed shield. In the west gallery a barrel organ. The view from the churchyard is fine. [This church was restored in 1878.-ED.]

ST. MICHAEL, SPENNITHORNE (N. R.).

This church has a west tower, nave with aisles, south porch and chancel, with much more of early work than the last. The tower is strongly built, and appears originally Early English. The battlement is plain, and beneath it is a corbel table of small heads. There is no west door, but a window of two lights, apparently Decorated, and belfry windows which are square-headed and appear late. On the south side is a square turret reaching to the top. The south porch has corner buttresses with battlement and square pinnacles. The parapets are plain, but beneath them a corbel table of heads, which seems Early English. Several of the windows are of transition from Early English to Decorated, having two trefoil lights, and a four-foiled circle above, some having a moulded arch above, some only a dripstone. The east window of the south aisle is Decorated of three lights, the label on head corbels, and containing some pieces of stained glass. The aisles are narrow, and there is no clerestory. The arches on the north of the nave are four, of Norman form and small, with circular columns having square capitals. On the south are three pointed arches, also with circular columns. The south doorway within the porch has mouldings and shafts with foliated capitals of Decorated character. In the north aisle is a window with flat arch of transition to Perpendicular, and one of three lights which appears to be Perpendicular. In the chancel arch is a wood screen in imitation of Early English work. The chancel has a north aisle divided from it by a plain low and rude arch, eastward of which is a vestry. The chancel has an Early Perpendicular east window of five lights with elegant tracery and some stained glass. On the south are two Decorated windows of two lights and early character, and one single trefoiled light near the west. On the north beyond the vestry is a trefoiled lancet. On the south a square-headed Perpendicular clerestory. Under the window is a string course, and on the south side of the

O L. XIV.

M

chancel a curious stone sedile with elbows of the same and a trefoil niche with drain. A neat churchyard and pretty parsonage on the north. [Restored in 1872.-ED.]

ST. ANDREW, AYSGARTH (N. R.).

This church is a large building in a beautiful and lonely situation on an eminence overlooking the rocky bed of the Ure, bounded by woody slopes. It consists of a west tower, a nave and chancel with side aisles and no architectural distinction of chancel. The two lower stages of the tower appear to be Norman, and are without buttresses except one which seems to be an insertion. There are small narrow apertures at irregular intervals, and the tower tapers towards the top, the belfry story has a plain battlement and squareheaded windows of two lights. The body is very long and rather wants relief, there is no battlement. All the windows of the side aisles and clerestory are square-headed, of three lights, and the former have labels. The nave has five arches, the chancel two on each side separating the aisles. The four western arches are good Early English with fine mouldings, the piers formed of an octagon with four shafts surrounding it, but quite disengaged, and the alternate faces of the pier channeled. They are set on a general octagon base, the capitals vary, some shafts have plain mouldings, others of the bell form. Some piers have general capitals of stiff foliage, but the opposite capitals correspond. The three other arches are very wide and plain, and rather straight sided, the piers octagonal and inelegant, it is difficult to say of what date. The east window of five lights, early Decorated without foils. The arches in the chancel are very irregular and ill-formed, the two western are very wide, the other consequently narrow and acute. Between the nave and chancel is a very elegant wood rood-loft screen painted and gilt across the whole breadth of the church, though only perfect in its western front. It is set across the middle of the fifth arch from the west, and has six compartments filled with tracery, besides the door in the centre, there is fan groining and most elegant cornice enriched with leaves, animal and fruits. There is a parclose screen enclosing the east end of each aisle, of later date than the other, and the east end of the north aisle is used as a vestry. At the east end is a pedestal and a tre

foil niche with piscina, inscribed A. S. Abbas. Anno. dm. 1536.14 The east window is not quite in the centre. On the south side of the altar is a square recess, and what may have been a credence. There is a stone seat on each side of the east end of the chancel, but no trace of canopied sedilia. The east end of the south aisle has a small rude niche, and there is a large modern pew surmounted by a canopy covering it. There is a considerable ascent to the altar and a large space enclosed. There is much wood carving worked into pews. In the chancel some very fine ends with splendid foliage and finial, also animals sedant. On the seat ends appear: (1) a shield with mitre, inscribed B. M. (2) A scroll inscribed W. under an ogee canopy. The font is modern. The roof of timber and rather plain. There is no arch to the tower, but flat buttresses in the wall adjoining the nave. There are no graves on the north side, but the churchyard is of unusual size and great picturesque beauty.

HOLY TRINITY, WENSLEY 14 (N. R.).

This church consists of a west tower, nave with aisles, and north and south porch, and chancel. There are portions of all the three Pointed styles and much of excellent work. The tower is modern. The south porch plain. The north porch is also plain, except a tablet charged with armorial bearings, but the church door within it has a fine moulded. arch with trefoil feathering and surmounted by a high triangular canopy with mouldings, springing from a shaft with moulded capitals. There are some very curious buttresses on both sides of the nave, which seem to be Perpendicular carried up square and charged with flat ogee uiches containing shields with the arms of Neville, Darby, &c. The top of each buttress has a small battlement. The niches on the south side are better finished than those on the north and have crochets. The roofs are of lead and the parapets moulded. Under the windows externally is a string course, and the dripstones are upon head corbels. The windows of the side aisles are of two lights and appear to be early Decorated, those at the east end of the aisles of three trefoiled lights. The interior is striking and venerable

14 The carved oak came from Jervaulx. The A. S. denotes Adam Sedbergh, the last abbot (1533-7) who was executed by Henry VIII

14 The situation of the church very pleasing, looking over the Ure. There is a barrel organ and three bells.

« PreviousContinue »