A guide, descriptive and historical, through the Town of ShrewsburyLeighton, W. A. (William Allport)
History
A guide, descriptive and historical, through the Town of Shrewsbury
Leighton, W. A. (William Allport)
Shrewsbury (England) -- Guidebooks
Esteeming this ancient fabric to be the principal ornament of our town,
we deem it necessary to add the following detailed description, which we
trust will prove serviceable to the visitor in his attentive examination
of the building.
The tower is broad and low, the basement of red stone, and the upper
portion of grey, and of the Anglo-Norman and early pointed styles of
architecture. The entrance is on the west side, through a plain pointed
arch of the very earliest kind, springing from square jambs with regular
impost mouldings, and having an internal arch, nearly triangular,
inserted within the head. On the opposite eastern side, a very early
pointed arch without mouldings, resting on short round Norman pillars
with indented capitals, communicates with the nave. Two tiers of small
round-headed windows pierce the lower stories, on all sides except the
east. The upper story is lighted on each side by two united and handsome
pointed windows, bisected by single mullions, forming quatrefoil heads,
and divided by transoms in the middle. A facia, charged with roses, and
terminating at the angles in projecting grotesque heads, ornaments the
upper and lower portions of this story, which is finished with a plain
embattled parapet, and crocketed pinnacles at the corners. From the
summit of the tower rises an octagonal spire, “fine by degrees, and
beautifully less,” pierced on alternate sides, with three tiers of
tabernacled openings, and crowned with an open flower, cross and vane.
In the tower is a peal of ten bells, the eight largest of which are
extremely melodious. This beautiful tower and spire have been thoroughly
repaired and restored at considerable cost, raised by subscription, under
the superintendence of Mr. S. Pountney Smith, of this town, whose skill,
judgment, and taste, in ecclesiastical architecture, are worthy of the
highest praise.
The nave and side-aisles, externally in the pointed style of the 15th
century, and of grey stone, are entered on the north and south-west by
beautiful semicircular arches, adorned with chevron, lozenged, and
foliated mouldings. Before the south-west entrance is an ancient porch,
principally of Anglo-Norman architecture; the outer arch of which is
circular, enriched with chevron mouldings, and issues from clustered
columns with foliated capitals. The interior rib is obtusely pointed and
unadorned. On each side is a small pointed window, exhibiting specimens
of the earliest rudiments of the mullioned Gothic style, in which have
been lately placed some highly interesting “roundels” of old painted
glass, of German execution, on which are depicted various incidents,
chiefly from the Apocrypha. The groined ceiling rests on two strong and
plain ribs, crossing in the centre. Over this is a small chamber, with a
plain pointed window.
A stone porch, entered by a pointed arch, has recently been erected
before the corresponding door, on the north side.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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