NOTES ON YORKSHIRE CHURCHES.

By the late SIR STEPHEN GLYNNE, Bart.

(CONTINUED FROM P. 34, VOL. XIII.)

THORNE.

This town is situated upon a part of the flat marshy tract which extends over a large portion of the borders of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. The church is neat and capacious, though not remarkable for any particular beauty. It consists of a nave and chancel with side aisles, and a tower at the west end standing engaged in the nave and opening into the aisles. The whole is plain without and within. The parapets have no battlement, but the eastern gables are finished by crocketed pinnacles, and in the clerestory are some grotesque spouts. The lower part of the tower seems Early English or very early curvilinear, having a two-light window without feathering in the two lowest stages. The upper part is later, and has double belfry windows, a battlement and eight crocketed pinnacles. The south doorway of the nave is Norman, but late in the style, having the toothed ornament—it is placed within a plain porch of two stories, of rectilinear character. The doorway has a label, and over it is a small kind of oriel window, and the word IHV is inscribed under the parapet of the gable. The west window of each aisle is of two lights without feathering, as that of the tower the other windows are chiefly rectilinear, and some square-headed. A few are earlier, having three lancet lights within a pointed arch. The clerestory windows are of two lights, without feathering, and are set one over each pier. The nave is divided from each aisle by five pointed arches with circular pillars having square capitals, save the last pier towards the east, which is square and plain. The west end of the south aisle adjoining the tower is made into a vestry. The chancel aisles extend further in width than those of the nave. The piers and arches are similar to those of the nave, and upon one of the piers is a small bracket. South of the altar is a plain niche with obtuse head and

piscina. The font is a plain octagon. The church is neatly pewed, with galleries along the aisles, and has a barrel-organ between the nave and chancel. In the churchyard is an ancient stone coffin.

HATFIELD.

This village, situated between Thorne and Doncaster, contains a magnificent cruciform church, the exterior of which is for the most part rectilinear, of excellent masonry though not rich. The chancel, transepts and clerestory of the nave are embattled, but not the side aisles of the nave. The buttresses are finished by crocketted pinnacles. In the aisles of the chancel the battlements are panelled with roses, quatrefoils and other ornaments. Some of the windows are curvilinear, and others rectilinear of the latter kind are are those of the clerestory and of the chancel aisles, some of which are square-headed. In the windows at the ends of the transept, there is rectilinear tracery of five lights; built into the wall of the south transept is a band of billet ornament showing the fabric to be of early origin. The west window is rectilinear, and beneath it is a good Norman doorway of late date verging to Early English, having the toothed ornament and shafts with rich foliated capitals. The tower which rises from the intersection of the cross is lofty and handsome, having a battlement and eight crocketed pinnacles. The belfry windows are double and very long, and in the tier above the roof is a glazed window of five lights; the buttresses are at their set-offs enriched with crocketed triangular canopies. The tower in many respects resembles that of Doncaster, but is of much plainer character. The south porch of the nave has an Early English doorway; the capitals of the shafts remain, but the shafts are gone. The nave is divided from each aisle by five pointed arches the piers are circular with square capitals; in the side aisles a stone arch is thrown across from each pier to the wall. The roofs are plain and of wood. The tower is supported upon four lofty arches with good mouldings, the piers formed of clustered octagonal shafts having embattled capitals. The tower was intended to be open to a considerable height, which would have produced a light and beautiful effect, which is destroyed by the erection of an unsightly ringing floor. There is in the chancel arch a handsome roodloft with fau

;

groining in wood, and good tracery, on which a singing gallery has been placed. The chancel aisles are wider than those of the nave, being almost exactly equal in breadth to the transepts. The chancel has on each side two pointed arches with slender octagonal piers. At the east end of the north aisle is a vestry, and in the south aisle is an altar tomb, the sides panelled in lozenge form. The font is of curious form, almost approaching a quatrefoil, with mouldings and supported on shafts. The interior of the church does not quite answer the expectations raised by the exterior, and is not in very good condition.

LEEDS.7

The parish church is a spacious cruciform structure, but does not contain much good work. The greater part is rectilinear, with some earlier portions. The nave has two aisles on the north and one on the south; the chancel has the same. The tower rises from the centre, and is of good rectilinear workmanship, though plain, with a large belfry window, battlement, and four pinnacles. The clerestory and the south side of the nave have been modernized; the latter has a battlement and pinnacles; the north side is plainer, without battlement, and has curious heads surmounting the buttresses. On this side is a plain doorway of rectilinear character, with moulding and small shafts within a modern porch. The west window is of poor rectilinear work; on the north of the nave they are mostly square-headed, perhaps of the age of Elizabeth. The north transept has a rich cross on the gable. The south transept is of smaller dimensions, but has a curvilinear window of large size. The interior is plain and much crowded by pews and galleries; the galleries round the whole of the nave are ancient, and the font of black oak carved; in the eastern gallery is a very large organ. The nave has three rows of arches, four in each; the two southern ranges have each four pointed arches with clustered piers of four shafts; the row of arches between the two north aisles has light octagonal pillars; the extreme north aisle is very wide, and has a flat wood ceiling. The arches supporting the tower are pointed and spring from

7 Puiled down in 1838 and rebuilt in a splendid style. Consecrated Sept. 2, 1841.

VOL. XIII.

T

clustered shafts. The south transept opens to the south aisle of the chancel by an Early English arch, with clustered shafts having bell capitals. The chancel has a double north aisle as the nave. On the south side are three pointed arches, with piers of clustered shafts. On the north the arches are plain, and the piers octagonal. Across the chancel and aisles is a rich screen of wood, with vine-leaves and grapes in the cornice; the piers between the two north aisles resemble the corresponding ones in the nave.

Some of the windows are square-headed, some with contracted arches. At the east end below the sill of the east window is a small vestry embattled. The font is an octagon, panelled with shields.

ST. JOHN'S CHURCH.8

This church was entirely built in the 17th century, and therefore contains no specimen of good architectural character. It consists of two spacious aisles, a plain embattled tower standing at the west end of the northern aisle. The windows are mostly square-headed, but those at the east end pointed. The south porch has a rich wood roof. The interior is very handsome, from the rich effect produced by the uncommon quantity of beautiful wood carv ing. The roof is high and open to the rafters, the plaster worked with Arabesque pattern; the pews are all very richly carved in dark oak, as also is the pulpit and a rich screen across the church forming the boundary of the chancel; in the latter are sculptured the king's arms, and the whole of the carving is evidently contemporary with the fabric. The two aisles are divided from each other by a range of seven pointed arches, with octagonal pillars having capitals verging to an Italian character. At the west end is a At the west end is a small organ.

CHRIST CHURCH.9

This church in the suburbs is a modern Gothic building of shewy appearance, but it will not bear criticism. The tower is lofty and rather handsome, but the upper stage too tapering. The piers are of cast iron and too slender, as are also the mullions of the windows. The interior is, however, light and capacious, and at the west end is a large organ.

* Consecrated Sept, 21, 1634.

9 Consecrated 1826.

WHITKIRK.

This church consists of a nave with low aisles and clerestory, a chancel with side aisles, and a large lofty tower at the west end of plain rectilinear work, having machicolation under the battlement, four pinnacles, and a small leaded spire. On the west side is a doorway and three light windows, above which is an ogee niche; the belfry windows are of two lights. The nave and aisles have no battlement but a plain parapet, beneath which is a cornice of large billets apparently Early English resembling a machicolation. The south porch has curious vaulting with stone ribs. The rest of the church is chiefly of ordinary rectilinear work; the aisle windows are of three lights, many mutilated; those of the clerestory of two lights. The nave has on each side four pointed arches with octagonal pillars. The chancel has the east window curvilinear, of five lights, and opens to the north aisle by one pointed arch, to the south aisle by two pointed arches; there is also a vestry on the north side. The south aisle is enclosed by a carved wood screen and belonged to the Ingram family, containing a monument to the last Viscount Irwin, and a modern one by Westmacott to Lord William Gordon. There is also an elaborate altar tomb of mixed character to one of the family of Smeaton. There is a pretty good organ at the west end.

HAREWOOD.

The church is situated within the park, and is a respectable though plain structure entirely rectilinear, comprising a nave with side aisles, and tower at the west end set within the aisles; a chancel of large dimensions also with side aisles. The west front is finely mantled in ivy; the tower is low and embattled, and has a large window of five lights. The parapets of the church are plain, the buttresses have canopied triangular heads. The windows of the nave are of three lights, that east of the chancel is of five; a few others have two lights; the south porch is plain. The tower opens to the nave by a pointed arch, and within it is placed the organ. The nave has four pointed arches on each side, the