Since then there have been a few slight improvements; six of the sixteen
windows in the aisle have had stained glass inserted, and it is generally
good. The chapel has had three of its windows fitted with stained
glass, and has been furnished with an altar and reredos, and a screen
separating it from the church provided; two additional frontals have been
given for the high altar, and it is backed by an elaborate, though as yet
incomplete, reredos of carved oak, designed by Weatherley. The church is
still much disfigured by the ugly ceiling, and has a cold unfurnished
look, to remedy which screens, stained glass, and colour decoration would
be required; unfortunately, the church is so large that nothing can be
done which does not involve a considerable expenditure.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The church consists of a nave of seven bays 150 feet long and 44 feet
broad, north and south aisles each 28 feet broad, a chancel of five bays
87 feet long, a western tower (making the total length 293 feet), a south
porch with chamber over it, and a chapel 18 feet by 40 feet immediately
to the west of the porch. All the nave and aisles windows, except the
four at the ends of the aisles, have decorated tracery, two designs (one
of them a very poor one) being alternated throughout; the three western
bays of the chancel have also decorated tracery. The four end windows of
the aisles, the west window of the chapel, and the four windows in the
eastern bays of the chancel are Perpendicular. The great east window has
modern tracery, copied from the east window of Carlisle Cathedral. The
three south windows of the chapel have reticulated tracery. The tower
is vaulted at a height of 157 feet. Below the vaulting are the door,
three great windows (west, north, and south), and above them four pairs
of windows with ogee heads; between the two sets of windows the walls
are pierced by an interior passage. Above the vaulting is a ringing
chamber, and over that the belfry surrounded by an exterior passage.
Access to this is gained by two staircases, the lower portions of which
are no part of the tower, but are contained in turrets, which were the
principal decoration of the west front before the tower was built. The
belfry contains the clock and a peal of twelve bells, on which tunes are
played by machinery every three hours. The bells are dated as follows:
1 and 2, 1785; 3, 1772; 4, 1710; 5, 1617; 6, 1758; 8, 1867; and the
remaining four, 1897. The roof of the tower rests on the transoms of the
four great belfry windows, the upper part being hollow. On the top of
the square tower stands the octagonal lantern, which appears never to
have been finished. The total height is 280 feet. The furniture is not
very noticeable, except the series of sixty-four _misericorde_ stalls in
the chancel. The altar is a modern one, 12 feet long. There are a modern
brass eagle lectern, a very poor litany desk, and the base of a poor
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account