Whalley Church Chancel - viewed from the Altar Rail - Red Rose Collections from Lancashire County Council

iBase ID

269457

Reference identifier

ECL20131105007

Title

Whalley Church Chancel - viewed from the Altar Rail

Place

Whalley

General notes

This photograph, apparently taken from the Altar Rail, shows the interior of the Chancel which measures 52 x 25 feet.

The Chancel Screen is from the late 15th Century. The Choir Stalls were carved in about 1430 and came to the church after the dissolution of Whalley Abbey; rare in medieval works, the name of the craftsman, a Mr. Eatough, has survived.

The misericord carvings represent subjects including angels, devils, grapevines, pomegranates, The Holy Trinity, two eagles carrying Alexander up to heaven, a blacksmith shoeing a goose, a girl with a weeping satyr, a wife beating her husband with a pan, and a splendid St George and the dragon. Jenkins comments that the misericords are beautifully executed and deserve national repute. They are unique in being the only known misericords to have inscriptions below the carving; one is in Latin, one in Norman French and the third in Early English.

The original second tier of Choir Stalls have now gone as has the original Rood Loft which was large enough to hold an altar reached by a spiral staircase, of which some supports may be seen in St Nicholas' Chapel. The Rood (Crucifix) was held above the screen, supported by wooden beams. These, too, have disappeared but the stonework reveals where they once were.

Medium

Glass slide, positive

Colour

Monochrome

Original image size

7.53 x 5.66

Year of image

c1900

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Locator

Box G W/13

Subjects

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Image