Previously, I posted a couple of pieces on the Holy Trinity Church at Wensley, North Yorkshire. As I had a few more photos and a couple of questions were raised, I thought I’d do a ‘wipe-up’ post to take care of some of the other odds and ends.
The choir stalls are dated as 1527 and are decorated with heraldic ‘monsters’ – King Henry VIII was on the throne of England during this period. The wood is very dark and I’ve photographed them without artificial light, just a little reflected fill on a couple to add edge definition.
More modern carving, sorry, I don’t know the date.
A pair of opera boxes were removed from Drury Lane in 18th Century and installed as pews for the Bolton Family.
I always like to find something that’s a bit more personal than the obvious structure and paraphernalia of the churches – perhaps graffiti tucked away in a corner, something put down and forgotten, etc. I was in one of the ‘opera boxes’ and happened to open one of the prayer books there. Apart from the inscription “Bolton 1902” on the title page, a dedication had been written on the facing page.
I hope you don’t use this as a snooze-box.Love
Yours Maria
The octagonal font dated 1662. The best I can do with the inscription is “TER So Looke to your charges”.
An example of Medieval paintings dated a little after the north aisle was completed in around 1300. The text is one of the earliest identified examples of English text in a medieval wall painting. St Eloi is depicted in first painting. Early 1300s – King Edward I was on the throne of England. Pope Clement V disbanded the Knights Templar in 1312.
The organ is was built in 1885 by Isaac Abbott of Leeds.
Wooden almery/aumbrie/ambry/reliquary with a money box attached to it, supposedly of around 1400 – it is suggested that it contained relics of St. Agatha.
Saxon memorial stones, now built into the north aisle wall, include the names ‘Donfrid’ and ‘Eadberecht’, both may have been priests from the Minster of Durham.
The carving on these stones was almost flat so I used a small flashgun to throw light across the wall to bring out the texture.
Sedilia and window reveal in the 12th Century chancel wall.
Piscina, also in the chancel wall but thought to be of a later date. The front of the basin has been broken off in times gone by.
This is the standard of the Loyal Dales Volunteers. The regiment was part of a Yorkshire militia created in 1805 for the specific purpose of fighting Napoleon should he invade. They were disbanded in 1815.
Although shown grey here, this is a black marble memorial slab fixed to the North Aisle wall at Wensley, showing Henry and Richard, children of Lord Scrope, who both died in 1525. (Another instance where I’ve used an flashgun to bring out the detail.)
Whenever I visit churches, I always take ‘incidental’ images. These may be something particularly unusual, or just the way the light falls on something. Here’s a couple from Holy Trinity.
The South Porch has a sundial with the inscription “1818 – As a shadow such is life”
I may start another blog dedicated to my church visits.
oops – meant to add these reference sites which I found particularly useful.
http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/
http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/
http://www.paintedchurch.org/
http://www.churchmonumentssociety.org/
——–Stephen—–
Stephen G Hipperson 