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
A lofty and graceful pointed arch, springing from high clustered imposts,
opens from the nave to the tower, and affords a view of the fine west
window; the upper portion of which is filled with the armorial bearings
of Richard II.; his uncles, the Dukes of Gloucester, Lancaster, and York;
and the alliances of the noble families of Fitzalan and Stafford, Earls
of Arundel and Stafford, and the lower part with those of the late
Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Howley, William Lord Berwick, patron, the
Rev. R. Lingen Burton, vicar, Dr. Butler, Bishop of Lichfield, Archdeacon
Bather, and Rev. Richard Scott, (the donor). The whole area of the tower
is occupied by a capacious gallery, erected in 1817, for the
accommodation of the children of the National School, in which stands a
fine-toned organ, made by Gray of London, and purchased by subscription.
The eastern extremity of the nave is terminated by a wall, built between
the two great western piers which once supported the central tower, in
which is inserted a fine triple Norman window, {133} elaborately adorned
with mouldings, containing figures of David, Solomon, St. John, St.
James, St. Peter, and St. Paul, executed by Mr. David Evans with his
usual taste. Underneath this window is a stone altar screen, composed of
an arcade of five Norman arches, with rich and varied mouldings,
surmounted by a pierced balustrade. The central arch contains a painting
of the Angels appearing to the Women at the Sepulchre, by Mr. John
Bridges, of London. The holy table is fenced by a STONE RAILING, uniform
in style. The whole of the stone work of the eastern portion, together
with the windows on the south aide of the church, were designed and
executed by Messrs. Carline and Dodson of this town, through the pious
liberality of the late Rev. R. Scott, B.D.
[Picture: Abbey Church, eastern end]
The western ends of the side aisles are separated from the church, and
used as a vestry and schoolroom. At their eastern extremities are the
arches which communicated with the transept, now blocked up and pierced
with square-headed windows, in which are some ancient shields of arms, in
stained glass, preserved from the monastic buildings. The north-east
window of the north aisle contains a large figure of St. Peter, the arms
of the See of Lichfield, of Lord Berwick the donor, and of thirteen
incumbents since the Reformation. The opposite window of the south aisle
is of a rich mosaic design, enclosing shields of the marriages of the
family of Rocke.
[Picture: Stone Railing, Abbey Church]
The remnant of the screen of a chauntry chapel, in the north aisle,
decorated with a series of small foliated niches, each divided by a
buttress and finial, and containing traces of sculptured imagery, appears
to indicate the situation of the chauntry of the guild of St. Wenefrede.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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