Archive for June, 2009

24
Jun

Lyddington – St. Andrew.

   Posted by: churches    in Leicestershire, Rutland

St Andrew - Lyddington St Andrew - Lyddington

The parish church of St. Andrew stands next to the Bede House which in 1602 housed 12 bedesmen (those employed to pray for the soul of their benefactor) and two women, all free of lunacy, leprosy or the French pox. The house itself is C15 and a former Palace of the Bishops of Lincoln.

St. Andrew is C14 and was rebuilt in C15 . Stylisticly it is Perpendicular with a Decorated tower.

West door, St Andrew - Lyddington Medieval stone coffin lid, St Andrew - Lyddington Acoustic jar, St Andrew - Lyddington

Inside the west door there are two medieval stone coffin covers. The curch also has some rare acoustic jar made of clay that are inserted high up in the wall of the chancel.

Brass monument, St Andrew - Lyddington Brass monument, St Andrew - Lyddington Jacobean altar rails, St Andrew - Lyddington

The floor of the chancel has two brass monuments. The earliest is a 2ft 7in memorial to Helyn Hardy (d1486). She wears a veiled head-dress, mitten sleeves, belt and cordon, which was the habit of a widow who has taken vows of chastity.

Next to it is a memorial with two 3ft figures dedicated to Edward Watson (d1520) and his wife. Edward Watson was Surveyor-General to the Bishops of Lincoln, and his descendants became owners of Rockingham Castle.

Following the Reformations churches were permitted to place the altar at the east end of the church or, as the puritans preferred, in the centre of the chancel or nave.

In 1633 Archbishop Laud decreed that the altar should be at the east end and railed off from the chancel.

The altar rails at St Andrew are dated 1635 and surround the altar on all four sides – a compromise between the two factions.

St Andrew - Lyddington Painted screen, St Andrew - Lyddington

The south wall of the chancel has a three seat sedilia and piscina. The C15 wooden chancel screen has painted flowers and traces of painted saints on lower panels.

East window, St Andrew - Lyddington East window, St Andrew - Lyddington

East window, St Andrew - Lyddington East window, St Andrew - Lyddington
The east window is dated 1870 and is a memorial to John and Elizabeth Clarke. The central four panels have representations of the Nativity, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. The lower panels are from the old testament.

Font, St Andrew - Lyddington Font, St Andrew - Lyddington

The square font is made from the local ironstone and sits on a modern base. The font covering is Jacobean and early C17.

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16
Jun

Burton Dassett – All Saints

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

All Saints Burton Dassett Norman doorway - All Saints Burton Dassett

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.

Nave - All Saints Burton Dassett Nave from chancel - All Saints Burton Dassett

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.

Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett Font - All Saints Burton Dassett Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett

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.

Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett Carved capital - All Saints Burton Dassett

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

Fresco - All Saints Burton Dassett, Doom, Last Judgment Fresco - All Saints Burton Dassett, Doom, Last Judgment

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).

burton dassett 28022009-15 burton dassett 28022009-13 burton dassett 28022009-12

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

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