The History of Oswestry: Comprising the British, Saxon, Norman, and English eras; the topography of the borough; and its ecclesiastical and civic history; with notices of botany, geology, statistics, angling, and biography: to which are added sketches of the environsCathrall, William
History
The History of Oswestry: Comprising the British, Saxon, Norman, and English eras; the topography of the borough; and its ecclesiastical and civic history; with notices of botany, geology, statistics, angling, and biography: to which are added sketches of the environs
Cathrall, William
Natural history -- England -- Shropshire; Oswestry (England) -- History
of plaster-work, and, as there appears no date upon it, is probably
coeval with the house. It is ornamented with figures of birds, horses,
and stags, and the central compartment has a representation in bold
relief, of Neptune and his attendant Tritons. The great staircase,
leading to the drawing-room, long gallery, and bedrooms, is a good
specimen of the style of the 16th century; the balustrade of massive oak,
the strong upright pillars, having pointed finials, are carved with a T
like ornament, such as is of common occurrence on the ancient stone
crosses of Wales. Underneath the window, on the first landing-place, is
carved this sentence:—“Accurate cogita immutabilia.” Here are also two
fine paintings, the one by Holbein, representing the great reformers,
Luther, Wyckliffe, Melancthon, and others, seated round a table; the
other painting a boar hunt, after Schneider. The upper rooms are all
wainscoated, and abound in elaborately-carved old oak furniture, some
bearing dates early in the 17th century. The gallery, extending nearly
the entire length of the house, is hung with several old family
portraits. There is a beautiful little chapel abutting on the west wing
of the house; the windows are stained glass, the interior is wainscoated,
and the whole arched over with oak panelling; over the entrance is carved
on stone these words:—“Petra et ostium Christus est.” There is a gallery
to the chapel, approached by a door from the drawing-room. On the south
side of the garden is a terrace of considerable length, and in the centre
stands a remarkable sun-dial, in stone, bearing several Latin
inscriptions, alluding to the rapid flight of time: on the pediment is
the date 1578. All the letters and figures on this stone, and all that
are found in various parts round the house, are carved in relief. This
dial fronts the south, and has no less than seven complete dials on it.
On the terrace are likewise the fragments of several large stones and
dials, bearing inscriptions in Latin.
In the List of the High Sheriffs of Shropshire will be found the
following names, owners of Park Hall:—
Robert Powell 1647
Thomas Powell 1717
Job Charlton 1748
John Charlton Kinchant 1775
Richard Henry Kinchant 1846
PORKINGTON,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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