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Thoroton Society Summer Excursion, 1910 (3)

St Wilfrid's church, Kingston-on-soar, was rebuilt in 1900 (photo by A Nicholson, 2006).

St. Wilfrid's, Kingston-on-Soar, was the next church visited. Here, too, no paper was read, but since the excursion the following notes have been kindly sent to the editor by Mr. E. L. Guilford.

KINGSTON-ON-SOAR CHURCH.
By MR. EVERARD L. GUILFORD.

In Mr. J. T. Godfrey's invaluable book on the Churches of the Hundred of Rushcliffe, a full description will be found of this church, and especially of the shrine which, since the restoration of the building, is the only object of interest in the church. For a similar reason, nothing need be said about the heraldic sculptures which form so excellent a picture of the Babington family genealogy.

So much still remains to be found out about the Babington family itself that it would be premature to enter upon the subject here.

I shall, therefore, restrict myself to a few remarks on the object and decoration of the shrine.

This shrine was erected in 1538 by Sir Anthony Babington, and in it were said masses for the dead. It was also intended to mark the burial vault of his family. The mediaeval love of punning is well seen in the carving, where the babes and tuns occur at every turn; in one case we find a baboon as well as a babe.

Babbington monument, Kingston-on-Soar.

Another noticeable feature is the carving of the Last Judgment. On the right is Hell, represented by a monster's mouth, into which the damned are disappearing; on the left, the righteous are mounting to Heaven through the strait gate; in the centre sits the Almighty.

At first glance the carving appears to be of foreign workmanship, but I have obtained several expert opinions upon the question, and I am assured that the work is English. It is exceedingly interesting to find the beginnings of Renaissance decoration appearing here and there among the florid and somewhat debased work of the Gothic carvers.

On the party reaching Ratcliffe-on-Soar, the church of the Holy Trinity was visited, and there the following paper on the church and the Sacheverell tombs was read by Mr. George Fellows.

RATCLIFFE-ON-SOAR CHURCH.
by Mr. George Fellows.

Ratcliffe-on-Soar church. Photograph by E L Guilford.

During the few minutes at my disposal, I do not propose to do more than briefly refer to the architectural points of interest that are to be found here before passing to the series of alabaster tombs, which enrich this church.

In enumerating the architectural features, I have had the valued assistance of our zealous member, Mr. Harry Gill.

They consist of an Early English chancel, Decorated nave, and south aisle, a rebuilt north aisle, and Early English western tower with spire.

The spire is peculiar in being a broached spire—having pinnacles at the corners—it has every appearance of being the production of the same builders as the neighbouring spires at Normanton (which we have seen earlier in the day) and Gotham, the corbel table in each case being similar. The nave and south aisle are of the later Decorated period (1350-70), and the window tracery confirms this. The western arch, with the Early English window in the west end of the church, is also worthy of attention.

It will be observed that a stone mensa, or altar slab, on which traces of the consecration crosses may be detected, is still in use. Although Dr. Cox refers to it as the "high altar," there are indications that this is not the original high altar, but has been removed from the side chapel in the south aisle to its present position.

There is a sepulchral recess in the north wall of the sanctuary, probably a founder's tomb; a graded triple sedilia; a 14th century octagonal font on a more modern base; in front of the tower screen may be seen a discarded Jacobean table, 5ft. 10in. x 2ft. 8in., and there are altar rails with balusters, which indicate them to be of a post-Landian period.

In the north aisle is an alabaster slab bearing the figure of a priest in his vestments, with chalice, wafer, and book.

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