St John the Baptist was, for unfathomable reasons, locked no keyholder. I know that, having looked it up on Flickr, a keyholder was listed two years but that [to quote Simon Knott] "in
general the church felt rather cluttered and unloved, as if it was now
beyond the power of its small, elderly congregation to care for it
properly, or even keep it going very much longer". I fear his prediction has come true.
Having said that I think the exterior more than made up for its locked status.
ST JOHN BAPTIST. Of cobbles, but the Late Perp W tower of stone. Is it post-Reformation? Perhaps the top part. Perp also the high and wide two-bay arcades. Piers of continuous mouldings to the nave, shafts with capitals to the arch openings and fleurons in the mouldings. To each bay corresponds a pair of two-light clerestory windows. A higher rood-stair turret at the E end of the clerestory. The nave roof has figures against the wall-posts and against the sub-principals. The N aisle roof has figures on the wall-posts only. The chancel arch corresponds to the arcades, the tower arch is plainer. In the chancel ogee-headed SEDILIA and a low-side window of two lights with a transom. The lights are ogee-headed too, and the chancel was indeed consecrated in 1347. Close to the S doorway is evidence of the church preceding this: a fragmentary Norman tympanum with diapering of four-petalled flowers and a bit of zigzag. - SCREENS. In the S chapel of three- and four-light divisions. - Under the tower arch plainer, of one-light divisions. - SOUTH DOOR. Symmetrical sparse iron scroll-work of the early C14. - STAINED GLASS. The S aisle w window is complete, with figures of the Virgin of the Annunciation and the Resurrection and small angels below and in the tracery head.It is all early C15 and was originally in the chancel E window. How is it no-one smashed it up? - In the chancel N and S windows glass by Wailes. - PLATE. Two Chalices of 1809-10.
WISTOW. The finest things it has have never been moved since the builders and the craftsmen put them here 500 years ago. They are its splendid collection of wood carvings and a lovely aisle window.
All that is best in the village is gathered into its fine church, rich in 15th century screens with delicate oak tracery and with a splendid company of angels, apostles, and men looking down from its roofs and its walls. There are ten angels looking down from the modern chancel roof, and a remarkable group in the grand roof of the nave, in which we noticed angels and women, priests at prayer, and a bishop and a king. The stone corbels have angels and grotesques. The clerestory windows have double lights and are very fine.
One of the windows of Wistow has still in it the glass that was shining in the church before the 15th century builders took down their scaffolding. It is no longer where they left it, but has been removed from the east window to the west window of the south aisle. It glows with colour, and is a pure delight. It has in it Gabriel bringing the good news to the Madonna, who is seen at a desk with a dove above her head and a bowl of lilies by her. The same tenderness is seen in the picture of the Resurrection, in which Christ is rising from the tomb; below are quaint winged angels with golden hair, their hands raised in benediction. Very odd is a face peeping round the corner of the picture, and splendid the canopy work above it all.
Another piece of craftsmanship not to be missed is in the hinges of the doors, which are decorated with sprays of leaves hammered out by a smith 500 years ago, when most of the church was new. There are poppyheads carved then, a font still older, and a medieval chest hollowed out of oak and strengthened with iron bands.
In this fine place Thomas Woodruff preached for 51 years last century. Sir Oliver Cromwell was lord of the manor, and a Philip Cromwell was rector for ten years in Stuart days. The village is mentioned in Domesday Book.
All that is best in the village is gathered into its fine church, rich in 15th century screens with delicate oak tracery and with a splendid company of angels, apostles, and men looking down from its roofs and its walls. There are ten angels looking down from the modern chancel roof, and a remarkable group in the grand roof of the nave, in which we noticed angels and women, priests at prayer, and a bishop and a king. The stone corbels have angels and grotesques. The clerestory windows have double lights and are very fine.
One of the windows of Wistow has still in it the glass that was shining in the church before the 15th century builders took down their scaffolding. It is no longer where they left it, but has been removed from the east window to the west window of the south aisle. It glows with colour, and is a pure delight. It has in it Gabriel bringing the good news to the Madonna, who is seen at a desk with a dove above her head and a bowl of lilies by her. The same tenderness is seen in the picture of the Resurrection, in which Christ is rising from the tomb; below are quaint winged angels with golden hair, their hands raised in benediction. Very odd is a face peeping round the corner of the picture, and splendid the canopy work above it all.
Another piece of craftsmanship not to be missed is in the hinges of the doors, which are decorated with sprays of leaves hammered out by a smith 500 years ago, when most of the church was new. There are poppyheads carved then, a font still older, and a medieval chest hollowed out of oak and strengthened with iron bands.
In this fine place Thomas Woodruff preached for 51 years last century. Sir Oliver Cromwell was lord of the manor, and a Philip Cromwell was rector for ten years in Stuart days. The village is mentioned in Domesday Book.
No comments:
Post a Comment