Is attached to the county-hall, and is supplied with several London and
provincial papers.
Chronicle News-Room.
This is situate on St. John’s Hill, and forms part of the Library House.
It is furnished not only with a very extensive variety of London and
Provincial Newspapers and the Gazette, but also with Reviews, Magazine,
Army and Navy Lists, and the best Pamphlets of the day, &c.
To each of these institutions strangers are admitted on being introduced
by a subscriber.
Beside these institutions there are several private READING SOCIETIES in
the town.
New Church of St. Chad.
This church, situated near that beautiful promenade the Quarry, is
erected in a style highly ornamental, from a design by Mr. Stuart, an
architect from London. The admirable execution of the masonry, and the
beauty of the stone, have an extremely elegant appearance. The first
stone was laid on the 2d of March, 1790, and the building was consecrated
on the 28th of August, 1792. The body of the church is a rotunda, 100
feet in diameter, having a fine steeple at its south-east end. In the
steeple is an octagonal belfry, containing a melodious peal of twelve
bells, surmounted by a small dome, supported on eight Corinthian pillars.
[Picture: St. Chad’s church]
The principal entrance is through the large door under the steeple, to
the lower division of which is attached a portico, elevated on a flight
of steps, and supported by four Doric columns. The interior has a rich
and noble appearance, especially since its recent painting, which in some
measure has corrected that light and theatrical effect hitherto
complained of. The gallery which encircles the whole of the church,
except the chancel, is supported by a double circular range of short
pillars with Ionic capitals. From its front rises a series of columns
which support the roof, intended to imitate the Corinthian order. The
chancel is separated from the church by two insulated Corinthian-columns,
with highly enriched architraves. Beside the usual appendages of a
chancel, the Creed, Commandments, and Lord’s Prayer—a fine painted
window, executed by Eginton, and removed here from Lichfield cathedral,
was erected in the large window, in 1807, at the expense of the
parishioners.—The subject is the resurrection of our Saviour, from a
design by West. In the gallery is a good organ.
Notwithstanding the objections which have been made to the architectural
plan of this church, it is possessed of one advantage, which, it is
presumed tends to obviate all of them, namely convenient accommodation
for a congregation of 2000 persons, which should be the object
principally kept in view in all similar erections. It was built at an
expense of about £18,000: £15,000 of which remains as a debt, on the
church at this period.
The patron of the living is the king—the present vicar, the Rev. Thomas
Stedman, M.A. Organist Mr. John Wynne.
From the dome of this church there is a most beautiful panoramic view of
the town, and a very extensive range of the fertile plain of Shropshire.
The Abbey of St. Peter & St. Paul.
The present church once formed part of a magnificent and richly endowed
abbey, founded by Roger de Montgomery, soon after the Norman conquest.
Here that powerful baron, in the decline of his life, retired,
relinquishing his warlike habits for the severities of the Benedictine
monks, and adopting the custom mentioned by Milton, of those
who, to be sure of Paradise,
Dying, put on the weeds of Dominic,
Or in Franciscan think to pass disguised.
Originally it was of very considerable extent, comprehending within its
enclosure nearly nine acres, now used as gardens and pleasure grounds to
the adjoining mansions, together with a spacious fish-pond.
This once celebrated structure, in common with others similar in their
institution, suffered considerable dilapidations in the reign of Henry
the eighth. In consequence of this and the mouldering waste of time, a
small portion only remains, and what does exist has been cruelly
mutilated in its repairs; its nave, western tower and northern porch,
being the only fragments left to tell the history of its pristine
magnificence and grandeur. The tower is a finely proportioned structure;
its portal has a round Norman arch deeply recessed, and another of a
pointed form, inserted within it at some subsequent period. Above this
is one of the noblest windows in the kingdom, its height being 46 feet by
22 feet wide. It is divided by its mulliens into seven “days”, or
compartments below, of which there are two tiers, and its arched head is
sharp pointed, and filled with a profusion of the most delicate tracery.
On each side is a mouldering nich, in one of which was a statue of St.
Peter, and in the other St. Paul. Between the double bell windows in
front, is the figure of an armed knight within a nich, supposed from its
surrounding decorations and ornaments, to represent that celebrated
warrior, Edward III. The tower contains eight bells. Within the arch
which once led to the south wing of the transept, is an ancient figure
clad in mail, supposed by some, to be intended to perpetuate the memory
of earl Roger, the munificent patron of the abbey, and to this effect an
inscription was placed within the tomb, by the heralds at their
visitation of this county, in 1633. Others suppose it to belong to some
other warrior of subsequent times, monuments of this description not
being known at such an early period.
The ravages which this venerable pile has suffered are, perhaps, more
strikingly visible in its interior than its exterior; but it still
presents a solemn and majestic appearance, and whilst it proudly reminds
us of its ancient grandeur, awfully forewarns us of “another and a better
world.”—The altar-piece is in the style of the last century, with
paintings of Moses and Aaron, and finishes the east end.
There are several monuments and inscriptions in memory of the Prynces,
Baldwins, Reckes, and many other ancient and respectable Salopian
families. The armorial bearings in the great west window, were restored
A.D. 1815, from an ancient drawing in the Herald’s Office. The east
window is also adorned with painted glass. In the center compartment,
under gothic canopies, are large figures of St. Peter and St. Paul, with
their appropriate symbols; above are the arms of England, the see of
Lichfield, the Founder of the Abbey, and of Lord Berwick, the munificent
donor of the window; on each side are escutcheons of the vicars from the
year 1500. The bones of St. Winyfred were deposited in this abbey with
great splendour, in the reign of Stephen.
The organ and the handsome gothic screen on which it stands, were erected
in 1806. It is a very fine instrument, made by Mr. Gray, of London, and
cost 365 guineas. On the screen are the arms of the principal
benefactors.
In the parish chest are two small oval seals exactly similar in their
dimensions, impresses and legends. Two clothed arms issue from the
opposite sides of the area, one bearing a crosier, the other a naked
sword; in the centre, a wand or staff of office. Inscription, “Sigillum
commune de Fforyate Monachor”—the common seal of Monks Foregate. Some of
our most skilful antiquaries are unable to give a sufficient reason why
Monks Foregate came to have a common seal. Some of them have supposed
that the parish might have obtained a charter of incorporation, while
others think that it might have been assumed without authority. Neither
of the two seals appear much older than the 15th century.
The patron of the living is Lord Berwick—the Rev. H. Burton, vicar, and
Mr. John Amott, organist.
But the remain of this abbey which has most excited the attention of
antiquaries, is a beautiful little structure on the south side of the
gardens. Its plan is octagon, 6 feet in diameter. Some broken steps
which did not belong to it originally, lead through a narrow flat arched
door on the east, to the inside. The south part stands on a fragment of
the ruins. The corresponding side projects considerably from the wall,
resting upon a single corbel, terminating in a head. From this point it
gradually swells, bound with a multitude of delicate ribbed mouldings,
until it forms the basement under the floor. An obtuse dome of stone is
suspended over the whole, at about eight feet from the base, supported on
six narrow pointed arches, rising from pillars similar to the mullions of
the windows. One of the remaining sides of the octagon is a solid blank
wall, and in the other is a door. The roof within is vaulted on eight
ribs, which spring from the wall immediately under the cavity of the
dome. At their crossing in the centre is a boss, bearing a
representation of the crucifixion, considerably relieved. The spaces
between the divisions of the three northern arches, four feet above the
bottom, are filled up with stone pannels, over which they are entirely
open, a circumstance which, by permitting the light, is productive of a
beautiful effect. On the centre pannel are two small figures in elegant
tabernacles; in one of these is the figure of an angel, in the other,
that of a woman, whom he is addressing; the whole seems intended to
represent the annunciation. The right hand pannel is embellished with
images of St. Peter and St. Paul bearing their respective symbols, with
similar enrichments, and that on the left has two figures in monastic
habits, one of them a female, probably St. Winyfred, the other a monk;
the height of every figure is eighteen inches. The arches on the
southern side are without ornaments, and are now quite open two feet from
the floor.
In forming a garden on the site of the Abbey Cloisters, a great variety
of fragments were met with, consisting of painted tiles with various
devices, rich gothic tracery, window mullions, &c. and a very beautiful
part of the pavement of the refectory; this, from its situation, being
about 23 feet from the line of the outer refectory wall, and being part
of the border of a pavement, satisfactorily proves the use to which this
beautiful Gothic pulpit was applied, it being a custom in Benedictine
monasteries, for one monk to read to the others during their meals in the
refectory. In a parallel line, and at 12 feet distance from the wall of
the dormitory, a considerable number of small Norman capitals and bases
were found, strongly bedded in cement, and forming a foundation to some
superstructure. As the west side of the cloisters must have occupied
this situation, it may be presumed that there were cloisters of more
ancient architecture, than these destroyed at the Reformation, to which
the fragments found in the garden belonged.
[Picture: The pulpit]
St. Marys Church.
This venerable church is situated on a parallel with Castle-street, at
the north-east part of the town, in a small area; and with the exception
of St. Giles’, is the only structure of this place, which has been handed
down to the present time in an entire state. It is built in the form of
a cross, consisting of a nave side isles, transept, choir and its
chapels, with a west steeple. The exterior presents various styles of
ancient architecture. The basement of the tower is of red stone, and
contains the small round-headed windows of the early Norman era. From
the bell story the pointed style takes place, and is of the grey free
stone of Grinshill quarry, as is also the greatest part of the fabric.
The tower is large, but low. The upper story has on every side handsome
double windows. From the tower rises a lofty and beautiful spire. The
windows of the lower parts bear the remains of rich spiring canopies and
pinnacles. The height of the tower is 76 feet, of the spire 140.
Upon the south side of the church is a stone porch of early Norman
architecture. Its outward arch is circular, with diagonal or zig-zag
mouldings, the inner rib obtusely pointed. The small pointed windows on
each side are curious specimens of the very earliest rudiments of the
mullioned window. The ceiling also presents an example of the most
ancient kind of groined vault, and consists of four round massive ribs
crossing each other in the centre, without any boss or ornament. The
semicircular arch of the interior door is a good specimen of the style of
building in fashion from the conquest to the days of Henry II. The north
door is an elegant example of this ancient kind of building. Formerly it
was an unsightly wooden porch, which was removed in 1801. The arches of
the north and south doors of the transept are in the same early style.
The decorations of the latter are rather uncommon, having lozenge pannels
placed alternately, and each filled with an embossed flower. The side
aisles, with the upper story of the nave and choir, have pointed windows
with mullions, while those of the transept are long and lancet shaped,
without any. The higher walls of the nave were, in the repair of 1786,
very injudiciously raised some feet above their original level, which
altogether destroys the ancient proportions, and gives the whole building
a top-heavy appearance. Formerly the church was crowned with pinnacles,
which issued from the spaces between each window and the corner
buttresses of the transept and choir, but now, excepting those on the
chapel, not one remains.
Within, the church is spacious, lofty, interesting, and from its
venerable and solemn appearance, admirably adapted to the purposes of
religious meditation.
As chanced, the portal of the sacred pile
Stood open, and we entered. On my frame,
At such transition from the fervid air,
A grateful coolness fell, that seem’d to strike
The heart, in concert with that temperate awe
And natural reverence which the place inspired.