Lancashire

Churches

Anglo-Saxon, Byzantine, Celtic and Norse influences are seen in this period

Recognising Saxon churches

The remaining Saxon churches usually have a west or central tower (or no tower at all), and have two or three internal spaces. Transepts are not common. Generally the buildings are small, and are tall and long relative to their width. They have thick walls, often made of squared stones. "Long-and-short" work can be used on wall corners, and wall surfaces may have decorative lesenes. Doors and windows are small and narrow with straight lintels, arches, or (in later buildings) triangular heads. Paired windows can be separated by squat pillars with banding and crude capitals, and often have an arch cut from a single piece of stone. Windows are deeply splayed. Columns can be plain or with spiral, banded or other basic decoration. Most remaining Saxon churches in England have been extended in later periods, as at Kirk Hammerton, W R Yorks. Here the original nave is now the south aisle, and the chancel is a chapel.

Plans

Saxon churches usually have a nave and chancel, or a nave, chancel and sanctuary. Sometimes a narthex is included. Escomb Co Durham, St John exemplifies the two-cell design. Barton-on-Humber, Lincs, St Peter is a three-cell design with a tower over the central space. Some plans have transepts: Worth, Sussex, St Nicholas has them to north and south. Apses are found (reflecting the Byzantine influence), but so too are square chancels indicating Celtic influence. The latter came to predominate in England. To look at plans visit Church Plans On-Line.

Walls

Most Saxon buildings were probably made of wood. Only Greensted, Essex, St Andrew now remains with original Saxon split log walls. Other remaining churches have cut stone walls (often with squared stonework). "Herringbone" work is quite common, as is the re-use of Roman stone and tiles. Lesene strips and shallow blind arcading with arched or triangular tops can be seen, as at Earl's Barton, Northants, All Saints.

Towers

Saxon towers are usually centrally placed or at the west of the building. They are tall relative to their floor plan, and are unbuttressed, with Monkwearmouth, Co Durham, St Peter, exemplifying these characteristics. Most have coupled arched bell-openings. Quoins in the form of "long and short work" can be seen on the angles of many towers, and walls are often decorated as described in Walls above. Tower tops are usually straight, but Sompting, Sussex, St Mary is unique in having a gabled pyramidal roof (a "Rhenish helm") of the Germanic type.

Roofs

No original Saxon roofs have been found in England. It is likely that thatch was common. Carvings illustrating buildings suggest that tiles or "fishscale" wooden shingles were also used. Roofline evidence on towers shows they were steeply pitched.

Buttresses

Saxon churches are unbuttressed.

Windows & Bell Openings

Saxon windows usually have rounded heads, sometimes have triangular heads, occasionally have square heads, and may also be circular. The thickness of the walls means they are splayed inside, and (in C11 buildings) slightly on the outside too. Windows and bell openings arranged in pairs or threes are often separated by squat columns with exaggerated entasis. Often windows are placed high on walls and towers. Barton on Humber, Lincs, St Peter, illustrates a variety of forms.

Doorways

Doorways are invariably tall and narrow. They usually have a rounded head made of voussoirs and keystone resting on projecting impost blocks. The latter can be crudely carved with foliage or interlace, but are often plain. Capitals and jambs in the form of columns are sometimes found, as in the tower doorway at Kirk Hammerton, W R Yorks, St John: frequently these are absent. Doorways are sometimes square-headed with an arch over, and in later Saxon building the triangular-headed doorway appears. Lesene strips often surround the doorways to give emphasis to the opening.

Porches

Porches at the west end are known, as at Monkwearmouth, Co Durham, St Peter, where it was subsequently built on to form a tower. The English tradition of a south porch can also be seen in Saxon churches as at Bishopstone, Sussex, St Andrew.

Ornament

Saxon ornament features on fonts, columns, tombs, and, notably, on crosses. The most characteristic pattern is the beautiful and intricate interlacing of lines which has an affinity with Celtic designs - see cross shaft at Norbury, Derbys, St Mary. Leaves and scrolls are found, as are palmette-style designs. Crude figures are frequently seen, often framed in arches representing churches, or affronted with a cross between. Sundials and cross shafts sometimes have runic inscriptions.

Lychgates

Saxon churches did not have lychgates.

Columns

Saxon columns are usually cylindrical. At Repton, Derbys, St Wystan they have spiral carving. Reeding is also found. Baluster-like columns with wide middles are seen in bell-openings and windows, often with horizontal banding. Capitals are usually plain, but some show leaves pointing upwards, interlace or grooves. Bases are often square.

Arches

Nave arcades and tower arches are narrow and have semi-circular heads. At Brixworth, Northants, All Saints the arcade arches are made of re-used Roman bricks. Often arches have projecting impost blocks.

Internal Roofing & Vaulting

No Saxon internal roofing remains, and the vaulting that we have is found in crypts. Repton, Derbys, St Wystan, has a series of small domical vaults supported by cross ribs.

Fonts & Covers

Few fonts survive from the Saxon period. Those that have are usually square or cylindrical tubs, often just a hollowed out stone. Foliate and scroll carving is found. Dating is often problematic however. The hollowed out stone at Chipping, Lancs, St Bartholomew, may be of a later date. The circular font on a broad column at Deerhurst, Gloucs, St Mary, has rope-like scrolls and foliage, and is probably C9.

Pulpits

Saxon churches did not have pulpits.

Stone Furnishings

Few stone furnishings survive from the period. Beverley, E R Yorks, Minster, has a Saxon stone bishops seat - the "Frith-Stool". It is undecorated, with arms and back of the same height. Scratch sundials on the south wall are more common. These are often accompanied by inscriptions as at Kirkdale, N R Yorks, St Gregory.

Wood Furnishings

No wood furnishings survive.

Monuments,Tombs & Brasses

Saxon crosses are the most common monument to be found. These are often now reduced to the cross shaft or a fragment. However, many had a tapered column with a cross head, as at Eyam, Derbys, St Lawrence. These could be massive as shown by the cross bar at Winwick, Lancs, St Oswald, which measures 5 feet. The crosses can be grouped regionally, and most feature interlace, studs, foliage, figures, and sometimes pagan stories as at Halton, Lancs, St Wilfrid where images from the Crucifixion and Resurrection sit alongside scenes from the Sigurd saga. Gravestones in the form of the "hogback" are reasonably common, and are heavily carved as at Heysham, Lancs, St Peter. Relief carvings are also found such as the Christ in Majesty at Barnack, Cambs, St John B. Such figures, as here, are usually framed by an arch or architectural setting.

Wall Paintings

Bede tells us that Saxon churches were ornately painted. However, there is very little evidence remaining of Saxon work: just a hint of colour here and there.

Stained Glass

No Saxon glass remains - if any was in fact used.

Tiles

No Saxon tiles are known.

Earls Barton, Northants, All Saints

A late Saxon tower displaying characteristic openings, lesenes, and "long-and-short work."

Escomb, Co Durham, St John the Evangelist

A late C7, two-cell plan. One of only three complete Saxon churches in Britain.

Kirk Hammerton, W R Yorks, St John B

The wall of the Saxon tower shows the characteristic large squared blocks of stone.

Barton on Humber, Lincs, St Peter

The tower illustrates the tall, unbuttressed form, lesenes, and blank arches.

Kirk Hammerton, W R Yorks, St John B

A complete Saxon tower with a west doorway and a tall tower arch.

Theberton, Suffolk, St Peter

Many Saxon churches would have had a thatched roof. This example is a later date.

Barton on Humber, Lincs, St Peter

Saxon churches were unbuttressed. Here, the corner of the tower has "long and short work."

Carlton-in-Lindrick, Notts, St John

Coupled bell-opening with the arches cut out of single stones. Note "herringbone" work below.

Barton on Humber, Lincs, St Peter

The triangle-headed window openings have rough stone blocks serving as capitals.

Barton on Humber, Lincs, St Peter

The narrow entry, semi-circular head, blocks for capitals and lesene are typical of doorways.

Barton on Humber, Lincs, St Peter

A triangular-headed doorway is an almost exclusively Saxon feature.

Repton, Derbys, St Wystan

The closely-spaced and ornamented columns and arches are in the crypt.

Skipwith, E R Yorks, St Helen

A typical Saxon tower arch with projecting impost blocks, lesenes, and moulding round.

Chipping, Lancs, St Bartholomew

Possible Saxon font - rectangular with horizontal bands. May be a plague stone!

Beverley, E R Yorks, Minster

A Saxon stone seat, probably C7, called a "Frith-Stool".

Eyam, Derbys, St Lawrence

Saxon cross, probably early C9, with characteristic interlace and figures.

Great Urswick, Lancs, St Mary

Saxon cross fragment with interlace, figures and runic inscription.

Brixworth, Northants, All Saints

C8 or C9 arches in nave wall that opened into porticus. Re-used Roman tiles in the arches.

Earls Barton, Northants, All Saints

Saxon bell-openings with crude balusters-like columns, and arches made from single stones.

Norbury, Derbys, St Mary

C11 Saxon cross shaft showing interlace and a figure.

Gosforth, Cumberland, St Mary

Norse-style C10 "hogback" gravestones. The "roofs" appear tiled. Interlace and figures also.

Heysham, Lancs, St Peter

Saxon cross shaft showing a swathed figure (Lazarus?) framed by a building.

Whalley, Lancs, St Mary

Saxon cross shaft with a defaced head. Does it show a Tree of Life or a palmette design?

Photographs and text © Tony Boughen