Selby Abby - Monuments & Memorials

A detail from the grave slab of Abbot John Barwic

In the interior of Selby Abbey, along both of the arcades and in the aisles, there are numerous monuments and memorials, including various large sarcophagi and grave slabs,  which are extremely variable in their condition and state of preservation. 

The tomb of Lord John D'Arcy

Against the west wall of the north aisle, the largest of these is the largest sarcophagus, which commemorates Lord John D’Arcy, who died in 1411. Carved out of alabaster, the panelled chest depicts angels holding shields, with the eroded remains of a mutilated torso lying on the top. 

The tomb of a crusader

Further along the arcade, two large dolomitic limestone tombs of a C13/C14 crusader and a smaller than life size representation of Margaret de Pickford, with her head surrounded with a crocketted canopy and further decoration of four shields. 

The tomb of Margaret de Pickford

Others monuments of note in the south arcade, depicting former abbots, are those of John Shireburn (1368-1407), which comprises various remaining alabaster fragments pieced together, and dolomitic limestone slabs of Lawrence Selby (1486-1504) and John Barwic (1522-6), with the latter being in far the best condition. 

The tomb of Abbot John Barwic

Along the wall of the north aisle, there are various monuments of a much later date, including neoclassical designs, which are mainly constructed in white and dark grey marble but the most interesting is that of Richard Spencer of Leeds d.1690, with its coat of arms and a skull and crossbones over it. 

A memorial to Richard Spencer of Leeds

In the south aisle, I particularly liked the large lump of coal that was taken from the Wistow Mine on the Selby Coalfield, which produced 121 million tonnes of coal between 1983 and 2004 before geological conditions and the low price of coal forced it to close.

Coal from Wistow Mine