Nooks and Corners of ShropshireTimmins, H. Thornhill (Henry Thornhill)
History
Nooks and Corners of Shropshire
Timmins, H. Thornhill (Henry Thornhill)
Shropshire (England) -- Description and travel
North and south of the nave open out two chapels, or short transepts,
called respectively the Plowden Chapel, and the Walcot Chapel. The
Walcots of Walcot are a family of very ancient descent, who have held
estates in this locality from time immemorial. After their day, the
manor of Walcot passed to the ancestors of Lord Powis, and eventually
came into the possession of no less a personage than Robert Clive, Baron
Plassey, K.B., founder of the British dominion in India, who died at
Walcot Hall in 1774. His name may be seen inscribed in some prayer-books
still preserved in this chapel. Upon the wall above the family pew hangs
the Walcot escutcheon, with three black pawns, or rooks, amidst its
quarterings.
This is explained by the following note in a pedigree of the Walcot
family, compiled in 1643, referring to a certain John Walcot who lived
in the early part of the fifteenth century. 'This John Walcote, plainge
at the Chese with King Henry the fift, Kinge of England, gave hym the
check-matte with the Rouke; whereupon the Kinge chainged hys coate of
armes, which was the crosse with flower-de-luces, and gave hym the Rouke
for a remembrance thereof, by which he and hys posteritie hath continued
to this daye.'
The Plowden chapel is separated from the nave by a plain oak screen. As
already mentioned, this chapel was built by an ancestor of the Plowdens,
after returning in safety from captivity in Asia Minor. It is lighted by
several well-proportioned windows of early character, and contains a
much dilapidated stone altar of pre-Reformation date, with two brackets
up above it, probably intended for images.
In one corner stands a curious sort of grille, or iron railed structure,
bearing traces of colour, and surmounted at one end by a gilded iron
cross. It was customary, we understand, to place this railing around a
newly made grave, to protect it from evil disposed persons.
The tower walls are enormously thick, as though intended to withstand
attack. The fine old panelled oak nave roof is now hidden from below by
an ugly whitewashed ceiling. The bell-frame up in the belfry is
something of a curiosity, being rudely but effectively carved with
dragon-like monsters having foliated tails.
We now make for the village inn, with appetites sharp-set for such
rustic fare as the place may haply afford. Half-an-hour later finds us
climbing the ascent of Oakeley Mynd, with a fresh westerly breeze
humming through the tree-tops, and the cloud shadows chasing one another
athwart the genial landscape.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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