KIRKWHELPINGTON CHURCH.

47

II. NOTES ON THE RECENT DISCOVERIES AT KIRKWHELPINGTON PARISH CHURCH.

BY W. S. HICKS.

[Read on the 29th June, 1892.]

THIS church, dedicated to St. Bartholomew, consists of a nave, chancel, western tower, and south porch only. I give a plan of it, showing the indications of earlier forms which have lately been discovered.

The fabric, when I first saw it two years ago, was in a most dilapidated and unwholesome condition: its modern roof in holes, its timbers decayed, its floors, seats, and gallery soaked and green with damp. The chancel only was in a state of repair, though greatly reduced in size and disfigured in proportions by the rebuilding undertaken some time ago by the lay rector.

The nave walls, roughly rebuilt of ancient stones, contain some portions of the lancet windows, but nothing of their ancient character, and nearly all the windows have plain square sashes.

The roof was an ordinary king-post construction of the early part of this century, containing a little of the old oak of a former roof, so cut up as to leave no trace of its earlier form.

The tower is buttressed with huge modern buttresses, partly enclosing and hiding the old ones, and it has been so altered in its upper stage as to be almost beyond recognition as a thirteenth century tower. The south porch is a modern structure made entirely of ancient stones.

The ground on both sides of the church had become banked up three or four feet above the present floor level, and this floor appears to be a foot or a foot and a half above the ancient one. There were

some indications, in this high ground, of transept walls on both the north and south sides, and these indications were more or less of a puzzle.

Hodgson says of it, at vol. i., part 2, page 203 :-' It has been a cross church, but its transepts have been removed.' On the other

hand, I am told by the vicar that the late Mr. Johnson expressed his opinion that it was not a transeptal church.

The excavations justify both of these contrary opinions in a curious and interesting way, reconciling them, as I shall presently show.

There being urgent need of repair, a plan was made for an alteration of the roof, and a contract was entered into with Messrs. R. Carse & Son of Amble. I am much indebted to Mr. J. T. Carse, who has had this work under his charge, and am glad of this opportunity of mentioning his intelligent interest, and the care with which all relics and traces have been observed, preserved, and pointed out, and handed over to me by him and his workmen.

The first contract for roof and drainage was completed, and a sufficient sum of money was still available this year for a second contract, which is now being carried out by Mr. Carse. This consists of cutting away so much of the embankment of earth, and building debris, and other remains above mentioned, as will enable us to put in a good open trench all round the church below the present floor level, and at what is probably the ancient level of the floor.

This is intended to dry the building, and it is this excavation which has brought to light so many very interesting features, and has thrown so much fresh light on the original condition and the changeful history of this much altered fabric.

The excavated earth has been searched with the result that some pieces of thirteenth century glass have been found (if I am not mistaken) all calcined almost beyond recognition, and beyond the possibility of entire preservation. These fragments have been placed in the Museum at the Black Gate, having been presented by the Rev. C. W. Soden, the vicar.

I picked up a calcined bone; and the marks of fire on the stones also show that the building has been completely destroyed by fire once, if not more than once.

Two original grave covers have been found in fragments. I give drawings of them. One is of an ordinary kind, with cross and sword; it has been preserved by being worked into a triangular coping, and turned upside down. The other is a very interesting and uncommon stone with a chalice incised on it, and nothing else whatever.