Medieval History
The chancel of All Saints in South Elkington, Lincolnshire, had been constructed by the local architect James Fowler in 1874 in a rather plain and pedestrian 'middle pointed' style. In 1904 the rector of Elkington Canon Smyth retired and his parting gift to the parish was a sum of money to enable the redecoration of Fowler's chancel ceiling and the presentation of a new organ. The work was overseen by Smyth's son-in-law and successor C. W. Stanford.
Fowler's plain roof was transformed with a decorative scheme based on the Te Deum. It has painted texts and gilded medallions filled with figures appropriate to the text. The whole is set against a ground of red ochre, stencilled with sacred mongrams. When I first saw the ceiling it screamed Bodley at me. Then I looked more carefully at the figurative work, which doesn't have the quality of finish you might associate with Bodley, in fact it is all rather crude (see St Helen below). The church guide book, which is my only authority until I dig a bit deeper, says that the work was executed by Bernard Smith of Woking, a friend of the family. Do any readers know anything about him? The work was completed in July 1904 and blessed by Edward King, the saintly bishop of Lincoln.
St Michael
St Helena.
The organ case is also lavish, the coving decorated with a firmament filled with cherubim. Sadly the later wooden screens at the base of the organ case have destroyed the visual integrity of the case and those carpets! Well perhaps enough said about those.
- Here Is An Encaustic Antidote
Waithe, Lincolnshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum (Allan Barton).to the 70s Lenten array I posted earlier. Henry Thorold described the chancel at Waithe in Lincolnshire with its tad excessive Minton tiling as all 'shining and polychromatic like...
- Bodley And Garner In Lincolnshire
Friday was my day off, so I had a trip out with my camera to Laughton, near Gainsborough in north-west of Lincolnshire. I had visited this church before in the summer of 2005, but my photos were not good, so a new set were needed. The church was breathtaking...
- South Elkington
South Elkington, Lincolnshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum.I am very grateful to Fr Anthony Symondson for solving the puzzle of Bernard Smith (see comment on the previous post). If I had picked up my copy of his work on Sir Ninian Comper, the answer...
- Bodley And Garner In Lincolnshire
If you ever find yourself near Lincoln, take a detour ten miles south to the village of Brant Broughton, where the church of St Helen is a building that really shouldn't be missed. The church is an example of an exceptional and lavish restoration...
- Lost Roofs
I'm becoming quite familiar with these two rather lovely fifteenth century angels. They are attached to the wall in the Trinity chapel in Louth parish church, where my colleagues and I say the morning office. They, along with a single smaller version...
Medieval History
Te Deum ceiling
The chancel of All Saints in South Elkington, Lincolnshire, had been constructed by the local architect James Fowler in 1874 in a rather plain and pedestrian 'middle pointed' style. In 1904 the rector of Elkington Canon Smyth retired and his parting gift to the parish was a sum of money to enable the redecoration of Fowler's chancel ceiling and the presentation of a new organ. The work was overseen by Smyth's son-in-law and successor C. W. Stanford.
Fowler's plain roof was transformed with a decorative scheme based on the Te Deum. It has painted texts and gilded medallions filled with figures appropriate to the text. The whole is set against a ground of red ochre, stencilled with sacred mongrams. When I first saw the ceiling it screamed Bodley at me. Then I looked more carefully at the figurative work, which doesn't have the quality of finish you might associate with Bodley, in fact it is all rather crude (see St Helen below). The church guide book, which is my only authority until I dig a bit deeper, says that the work was executed by Bernard Smith of Woking, a friend of the family. Do any readers know anything about him? The work was completed in July 1904 and blessed by Edward King, the saintly bishop of Lincoln.
St Michael
St Helena.
The organ case is also lavish, the coving decorated with a firmament filled with cherubim. Sadly the later wooden screens at the base of the organ case have destroyed the visual integrity of the case and those carpets! Well perhaps enough said about those.
- Here Is An Encaustic Antidote
Waithe, Lincolnshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum (Allan Barton).to the 70s Lenten array I posted earlier. Henry Thorold described the chancel at Waithe in Lincolnshire with its tad excessive Minton tiling as all 'shining and polychromatic like...
- Bodley And Garner In Lincolnshire
Friday was my day off, so I had a trip out with my camera to Laughton, near Gainsborough in north-west of Lincolnshire. I had visited this church before in the summer of 2005, but my photos were not good, so a new set were needed. The church was breathtaking...
- South Elkington
South Elkington, Lincolnshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum.I am very grateful to Fr Anthony Symondson for solving the puzzle of Bernard Smith (see comment on the previous post). If I had picked up my copy of his work on Sir Ninian Comper, the answer...
- Bodley And Garner In Lincolnshire
If you ever find yourself near Lincoln, take a detour ten miles south to the village of Brant Broughton, where the church of St Helen is a building that really shouldn't be missed. The church is an example of an exceptional and lavish restoration...
- Lost Roofs
I'm becoming quite familiar with these two rather lovely fifteenth century angels. They are attached to the wall in the Trinity chapel in Louth parish church, where my colleagues and I say the morning office. They, along with a single smaller version...