Enjoying retirement
In The Red Rose County
Today, a brilliant winter's day, we took the opportunity to explore Waddington a bit more on our regular walk..... The almshouses (for which Frances is eligible) are set round a pretty green.... and there are pleasant buildings all round in the village... Anyhow we headed for the church which we knew would be open (unlike many).... The oldest part of the present church is the tower, which was completed around 1501. The nave and chancel were rebuilt in 1894, giving the building a distinctly Victorian air. The church is built of local sandstone under a stone slate roof. The layout is fairly simple, with an aisled nave, chancel, transepts, west tower, and a south porch. The nave has a clerestory to admit more light. The 15th-century west tower has three stages, with an embattled parapet and decorative gargoyles. Cut into the north-west buttress are the arms of the Tempest family and a worn crucifix. Inside, you can see the roofline of the original medieval church against the inner face of the tower wall. Over the west door are a row of nine medieval carved heads, which appear to have bee re-set here during the Victorian restoration. The large east window is Tudor, as are the south aisle windows. Perhaps the most interesting memorial is a 17th-century wall monument on the south wall of the chancel to Christopher Wilkinson. There are several very good memorial to the Parker family of Browsholme Hall. Another interesting historical monument - and much easier to miss - is a small brass memorial plaque to William Calverley (d 1690) who served as the vicar of Waddington for 50 years. The Latin inscription translates as: William Calverley was Priest of this Church for fifty years. He was held in the highest regard as a vigilant pastor and counsellor, an untiring and eloquent preacher and outstanding model of piety and goodness, who retained all his faculties to an advanced age. His death was a grief to his parishioners who live in hope of the Resurrection. He died in full vigour at the age of eighty-eight years, on July 12, in the year of our Redemption 1690. May his fame last after death. The font dates to the early 16th century and is carved from local sandstone. The font bowl is carved with shields bearing the instruments of the Passion. Well worth a visit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Keith & Frances SmithArchives
August 2023
Categories |