Posts Tagged ‘norman’

Jun

Burton Dassett – All Saints

Posted by: churches in Stratford-upon-Avon District, Warwickshire

The Domesday book records that there was a small Saxon church occupying this site where the current nave is. At that time the land was owned by the saxon Lord Harold of Sudeley who mainly owned land in Gloucestershire.

The present church is built of Hornton stone and dates from the early C12 through to C13, the oldest parts being the Norman doorways in the South and North. In the C12 the Sudeley family founded the Augustinian monastery at Arbury donating some of the land at Burton Dassett to it.

Cut into the hillside the chancel slopes upwards ten feet above the nave. The altar which is almost level with the capitals of the arcade arches.

For many years the plain cylindrical bowl of the font was abandoned in the churchyard. Now replaced inside the church it is thought to be C15 but its date is uncertain. The base and stem are modern.

The carved capitals of the north arcade pillars are no later than the late C13 and include hounds, rabbits, dragons, and other mythical creatures.

Much of the original medieval plaster of ‘daub’ mixed with lime, and chopped straw and cowhair survives. It was painted with bright murals which after 100s of years of being whitewashed over, and covered with ornamented texts they are starting to reappear. The medieval wall painting above the chancel arch depicts two censing angels the Virgin and St. John which are C14. These are painted over an earlier C13 "Doom" (Last Judgment).

The window in the north transept has images of the Three Magi.

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Tags: carving, font, fresco, norman, tower

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Dec

Ryton-on-Dunsmore – St. Leonard.

Posted by: churches in Rugby District, Warwickshire

Built of red sandstone in the 11th century, the tower was added in the 15th. St Leonard’s is one of the counties oldest Norman churches in Warwickshire. The land was given to the Coventry Priory in 1043 by Lord Leofric (him of Lady Godiva fame) mainly woodland from what I can gather it was worth at that time 100s, but by 1086 the monks had chopped a good part of it down and it was only worth 60s. A small part of the ancient woodland it still survives though.

Chancel and nave St Leonard - Ryton on Dunsmore

An 11th century Norman semi-circular arched doorway remains as the south entrance. The east wall was rebuilt possible in the 15th century of red sandstone.

The turned oak balustrade altar rails are 17th century and the front of the benches has late 15th century carved tracery-headed panels.

The church contains a modern window celebrating the 100th birthday of Florence Mabel Such, and the lives of Brian Frank Howkins, Katherine Mary Mann, Sally Ann Parke, and Dorothy Clarice Smith. And a Victorian memorial window to Anna Latty, the wife of a previous curate, which is set into a 12th century lancet window.

The octagonal font is 12th century, whilst the pulpit is made of 17th century carved panels. The tower is a 15th century addition and its size indicates that the intent was to enlarge the body of the church at that time too.

The south wall of the chancel features a small brass plaque with an inscription to Moses Macham, minister of Ryton. who died 29th June 1712.

Lo here doth ly a shining light
wrapped up in the shades of night
the sheppard is took from his sheep
but O would they his doctrine keep
and practice the rules that he did give
So shall ye Pastor and ye People live.

to the right of the inscription is an engraving showing a lantern standing on a coffin and a skeleton holding on to a tree.

Website.

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Tags: brass, leonard, norman, stained glass, tower

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