Posts Tagged ‘alabaster’

St Mary and St Hardulph - Breedon-on-the-Hill

This parish church was formerly the church of an Augustinian Priory founded early C12. Formally a fortified hilltop a monastery was established there by the C7. The first Abbot Hedda became the second bishop of Lichfield in 691.

The monastery was destroyed by the Danes and not re-established until the foundation of the Augustinian Priory in early C12, the church was remodeled in the C13 with a long and wide chancel which is today’s nave.

The church was really two churches in one, part of which was for the local parishioners and extended westwards from the central tower, the other part was for the priory which is essentially the present church.

Interior, St Mary and St Hardulph - Breedon-on-the-Hill Font, St Mary and St Hardulph - Breedon-on-the-Hill

By the C16 the nave and porch, which was the parish part of the church had become dilapidated, and after its dissolution in 1539 the Priory part of the church was sold by Henry VIII to Francis Shirely of Staunton Harold, as a burial place for himself and his successors. The Breedon parishioners were allowed to use the Priory church as their own was at that time in ruins.

In 1784 the church had again fallen into disrepair and the state of the roof and walls of the north and south aisles was such that services had not been held inside for several months and the church was nearly demolished. Though the cost of rebuilding was not raised the church was repaired leaving it in its present state.

Anglo Saxon stone carving - Breedon-on-the-Hill

Incorporated into the church are well preserved surviving fragments of friezes from the ancient monastery. They are dated to the C8 and stylistically similar to Book of Cerne (c820) and the ‘Hedda’ stone at Peterborough Cathedral. The above grouping has two sets of saints on either side of a central female figure giving a Byzantine blessing.

Birds, Anglo Saxon carving - Breedon-on-the-Hill Beasts, Anglo Saxon carving - Breedon-on-the-Hill

Two figures, Anglo Saxon carving - Breedon-on-the-Hill Anglian Beast - Breedon-on-the-Hill

Other panels contain birds, beasts, figures, and a strange lion like creature referred to as the Anglian Beast.

George Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill George Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill

Dedicated to George Shirley and family this immense alabaster tomb by Richard & Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent is almost the height of the north wall.

Gisant, George Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill John Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill

A gisant lies at the base of the tomb, above which are two coffered arched recesses with five large figures and two infants. The tomb dedicated to John Shirley (father of George) features a Knight in armour on a chest with armourial shields on the side.

John Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill Francis Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill

Again on the north wall is the tomb dedicated to Francis Shirley (grandfather of George) one time Sheriff of Leicestershire and Warwickshire. The tomb contains effigies of Francis and his wife Dorothy, with pairs of mourners on the side holding shields.

Francis Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill Francis Shirley tomb - Breedon-on-the-Hill

All three tombs are of Chellaston alabaster and made by Richard & Gabriel Royley of Burton-upon-Trent.

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22
Mar

Norton – All Saints

   Posted by: churches    in Daventry District, Northamptonshire

All Saints, Norton All Saints, Norton

All Saints parish church Norton has a C13 tower, the rest of the church is mostly in the Decorative style of C14.

Font, All Saints, Norton Font, All Saints, Norton
Font, All Saints, Norton Font, All Saints, Norton

The font near the entrance is C13 with recut protruding faces.

Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton

Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton Stained Glass - All Saints, Norton

The stained glass in the north and south aisle windows contain shields and single figures of the St. Edmund, St. Stephen, St. David, St. Patrick, and St. Andrew of unknown the date and maker. However, the east window in the chancel is dated 1847 and signed by Thomas Willement known as “the Father of Victorian Stained Glass”.

Jacobean monument - All Saints, Norton Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton

Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton Alabaster tomb - All Saints, Norton

The north aisle contains a rustic monument to Elizabeth Verney (d1633) of a kneeling figure. The south aisle has a large alabaster memorial to Elizabeth Knightley (d1602).

Monument - All Saints, Norton Monument - All Saints, Norton Monument - All Saints, Norton

The chancel contains two C17 monuments to memebers of the Breton family. A large pink and white marble monument to Nicholas Breton (d1658) and his wife, and a wall tablet to Nicholas Breton (d1624). On the north wall of the chancel is a monument by William Behnes dedicated to Charlotte Botfield. The life size sculpture is that of her son mourning his mother.

Mass dial- All Saints, Norton Sundial- All Saints, Norton

Outside on the south wall of the church is a painted sundial and an early medieval mass dial, a crude form of sundial used to determine when to ring the bells for mass, scratch into the stonework.

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17
Mar

Chesterton – St. Giles.

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

St. Giles - Chesterton St. Giles - Chesterton

The parish church of St. Giles, Chesterton, is mostly of an early C14 Decorative design, with some remnants of an earlier C13 church. The church itself is in an isolated field some distance from the village, but near to the old Peytos mansion that was pulled down in 1802. Its isolation makes the inscription on the sundial strange, as there were hardly ever anyone around to loiter.

Porch, St. Giles, Chesterton South door, St. Giles, Chesterton chesterton 28022009-34

The porch is c1400, leading to an early C13 south doorway carved with ballflowers. To the east is an early C14 priest doorway.

Norman font, St. Giles, Chesterton St. Giles, Chesterton War Memorial, St. Giles, Chesterton

Inside is the door is a C13 font with a tapering round bowl. The church itself is long and narrow consisting of nave and chancel, without any division between the two. The blocked north door is probably the oldest part of the church being a remnant of the earlier C12 building. It used to be the entrance used by the Peyto family and now incorporates a memorial to the 1914-1918 war.

South chancel window, St. Giles, Chesterton Stained glass, St. Giles, Chesterton North chancel window, St. Giles, Chesterton

The North and South chancel window are c1330 inset with Victorian stained glass, the north window incorporates some fragments of C15 glass, the south window is from the Hardman Studios Birmingham (1890). The large window in the south wall of the nave is C15 with modern stained glass.

Piscina, St. Giles, Chesterton Monument by Nicholas Stone, St. Giles, Chesterton Monument by John Stone, St. Giles, Chesterton

The chancel also contains a modern piscina inserted into C14 image niche with a ribbed vaulted soffit and crocket enrichment. At the west end of the church are Baroque memorial monuments to the Peyto family. The first memorial is to William Peyto, 1619, and his wife Eleanor, was commissioned from by the Sculptor and Architect Nicholas Stone at a cost of £150. The second memorial is to Edward Peyto 1643 and Elizabeth his wife. The busts are set on a pedestal flanked by shafts of dark marble with white Corinthian capitals. This monument was made by John Stone the son of Nicholas Stone, and designer of the old mansion.

Alabaster tomb, St. Giles, Chesterton Alabaster tomb, St. Giles, Chesterton

Detail alabaster tomb, St. Giles, Chesterton Detail alabaster tomb, St. Giles, Chesterton

On the south wall is a late C16 alabaster tomb of Humfrey Peyto (d 30 March 1585), and Anne his wife. The date of Anne’s death (1604) is not recorded on the tomb. The tomb was made by craftsmen in Burton-on-Trent, which by the end of C16 had become the centre for work of this type having supplanted those of Nottingham.

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6
Dec

Stanford-on-Avon – St. Nicholas.

   Posted by: churches    in Daventry District, Northamptonshire

St. Nicholas - Stanford-On-Avon

Built from the local ironstone the present 14th century parish church of St. Nicholas was rebuilt from an earlier Norman church.

Piscina south aisle - Stanford-on-avon Effigy south aisle - Stanford-on-avon Memorial south aisle - Stanford-on-avon

This church is full of treasures. Starting with the South walll of the south aisle there is a C14 piscina, an effigy of a C14 priest on a low tomb chest, and a 1640 wall memorial.

Medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon South aisle east window - Stanford-on-Avon Medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon

Detail medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon Detail medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon Detail medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon

The south aisle windows contain remnant of medieval stained glass dating back to 1330.

Monument to Sarah Baroness Braye Monument to Sarah Baroness Braye Monument to Sarah Baroness Braye

The west wall of the south aisle is taken up by a large marble monument by Mary Thorneycroft in memory of Sarah Baroness Braye (d1862), a memorial window to her, by Hardman & Co., can be found in the South Kilworth church of St. Nicholas.

Detail medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon Font - Stanford-on-Avon Detail medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon

The window in the bell tower contains fragments of medieval glass. The font is C14 with a carved tracery pattern.

Monument - Stanford-on-Avon Monument - Stanford-on-Avon Monument - Stanford-on-Avon

The north aisle like the south aisle has a number of monuments. On the west wall is a large marble monument by Richard Westmacott Jr to Robert Otway Cave (d1844) and Sophia Otway Cave (d1849). The north wall has a monument of a lancer by Felix Joubert (1896) dedicated to Edmund Verney (d1879).

Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon

labaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon

Next to the stataue of a lancer is a late Elizanbethan alabaster tomb in memorial to Henry Knollys and his wife Margaret Cave (c1600).

Medieval stained glass panels Medieval stained glass panels - Stanford-on-Avon

The east window of the north aisle contains glass dated to about 1330-1340 with depictions of the Resurection, Angels, Crucifixion, Virgin, and St John.

Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon

Between the north aisle and the nave, is an early Elizabethan alabster monument to Thomas Cave (c1558) and his wife.

Elizabethan alabaster chest tomb with putti and roundel - Stanford-on-Avon Elizabethan alabaster chest tomb with children - Stanford-on-Avon

At the head end of the tomb chest two putti hold a roundel, at the foot end are representations of his 14 children.

Nave - Stanford-on-Avon Organ - Stanford-on-Avon Stanford-on-Avon

The upper parts of the chancel screen come from Lutterworth, the organ case in the west gallery is C16/C17 and is reputed to come from the Royal Chapel Whitehall.

Stained glass - Stanford-on-Avon Stained glass - Stanford-on-Avon

Stained glass - Stanford-on-Avon Stained glass - Stanford-on-Avon

More medieval stained glass is contained in the east window, and north and south chancel windows.

Monument - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon

The chancel has another memorial by Richard Westmacott Jr this time to Thomas Otway Cave (d1830). In addition there is an alabaster memorial to Richard Cave (d1606 Padua) which stands next to the memorial to his parents.

Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon

Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon Alabaster memorial - Stanford-on-Avon

At the east end of the North wall stand a large alabaster memorial to Sir Thomas Cave (d1613) and his wife. The base of which contains reliefs of their children.

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