Perched high in a strong position at a bend in the River Teme rises the
noble ruin of what was once the castle of Ludlow, visible from quite a
distance, no matter from which direction one approaches it along the
winding Shropshire lanes. It still retains enough of its ancient walls
and towers to demonstrate what valiant service it must have rendered in
keeping the turbulent Welsh back on their own side of the Border. Nor is
the note of war the only one that echoes from the early history of this
castle, for in its great hall was enacted for the first time Milton's
"Comus." After a brief visit to the castle let us wend our way to St.
Lawrence's Church in the town, for which an effective and judicious
restoration has revived much of its original charm. A diverting legend
relates that the arrow at the top of the north transept gable was shot
hither by Robin Hood from the Old Field two miles away. Although many of
the parishioners devoutly believe this to be true, it strikes the modern
traveller that the great outlaw must on that occasion have drawn a very
"long bow"! The ancient appearance of the fine hexagonal porch with the
room above it makes a most inviting entrance. We shall find our glass
in unusual parts of the church, nor is this the only unique feature
of the edifice. The Lady chapel is not at the east, but at the south
side of the chancel; in it is an interesting Tree of Jesse in the
approved Decorated method, very like the one we have just seen at
Shrewsbury. Unfortunately, the restorer has here been too thorough, but,
nevertheless, the pattern has been preserved, and also many of the
figures, for example, those just above the head and feet of Jesse.
He lies recumbent along the bottom of three of the five lancets
which compose the window, while above, in compartments formed by the
convolutions of the vine, are his descendants. In accordance with the
common practice, too much green was used. Although the chancel does not
as usual afford the greatest attraction in the way of glazing, we must
observe an interesting fifteenth century window in the middle of the
southerly wall. Its five lancets each contain three tiers of figures in
canopy, the details of which are much elaborated, especially in the
pedestals. Notice also the jewelled borders to the robes. The red and
blue glass is free from obscuring paint. Although our principal object
was the Decorated glass, this church would repay a visit because of the
Perpendicular glazing of the chapel of St. John which lies north of the
chancel, from which it is shut off by a beautiful fifteenth century
screen. The two most easterly windows in the north wall are much lower
in tone than either the very golden Annunciation which adjoins them on
the west, or the red, white and blue legend of Edward the Confessor and
the Palmers, which is round the corner in the east wall. This latter
dates from about 1430 and has two tiers of canopies across its four
lancets. There is here illustrated an absurd contradiction into which
this originally graceful style was developed;--within one of its
elaborately pinnacled shrines we find a ship! and under another a rural
scene with trees! most out-of-place substitutes for the customary and
appropriate saint. Let us return to the two low-toned windows in the
north wall, of which we have just spoken. The writer does not remember
ever having seen any similar to them. Each embrasure has three lancets
subdivided horizontally at the middle, making six spaces. The two
windows thus afford twelve panels, which are used to display the Twelve
Apostles. Local tradition says that there is here represented the
Council at which the Apostolic Creed was composed. Each holy man sits on
a bench behind a rail, but as they are drawn to a modest scale and
occupy each the centre of his panel, they are thereby so far removed
one from the other as to destroy utterly any appearance of a Council.
There is a great deal of soft-hued architecture throughout, but it is
used as background and not as a frame, thus differing radically from
typical canopies. A more satisfactory result would have been attained if
they had adhered closely to contemporary tradition, for here the
figures, low-hued as they are, start out too abruptly from the
over-spacious architectural background. The general effect is not that
of a series of gracefully framed Apostolic portraits, but of lonely
figures seated in empty halls. If for no other reason than that they
have provoked this criticism, these windows should be carefully
remarked, because they demonstrate how sound was the theory of employing
the architectural canopy as a light-admitting frame for the coloured
central figure. The east window of the south transept contains fragments
of fourteenth and fifteenth century glass from other parts of the
church. The wooden ceilings are well worthy of inspection.